Community Forum

The AACPDM Community Council, in collaboration with the Scientific Program Committee, is excited to host the 2025 Community Forum! This year's Community Forum will take place in person on Saturday, October 18, 2025, in New Orleans, LA, from 8:00 AM - 1:15 PM.

The AACPDM Community Forum is an annual, free educational event designed to serve as a valuable resource for individuals with cerebral palsy and their parents/caregivers. The Forum offers an opportunity to hear experts discuss issues affecting children and adults, and to learn about new research, medical advances, and topics that promote inclusion, participation, and improve the quality of life for individuals with cerebral palsy.

Registration Now Open!

Use coupon code: AM25FORUM when registering to receive complimentary access to the sessions outlined below. 

This year's Community Forum will be held in conjunction with the 2025 Annual Meeting, and participants are invited to attend the following presentation:

Education Sessions 

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Carondelet

EDU56: Spasticity Management Across the Lifespan in Cerebral Palsy: A Longitudinal Perspective
Heakyung Kim, M.D., Hana Azizi, MD, MPH, Rajashree Srinivasan, MBBS

Purpose: To enhance provider awareness and understanding of spasticity management across the lifespan in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), emphasizing the need for ongoing intervention into adulthood. The presentation will review current research, clinical guidelines, and best practices for optimizing function, reducing pain, and preventing secondary complications associated with untreated spasticity in adults with CP.

Target Audience: Pediatricians, Therapists, Nurses, Teachers, Administrators

Background and Summary: The number of adults with cerebral palsy (CP) continues to rise, yet comprehensive spasticity management across the lifespan remains insufficient. Many adult healthcare providers may be unfamiliar with CP, often misattributing symptoms to the underlying condition and deeming them untreatable. This can lead to misdiagnosis, delays in appropriate care, and worsening functional outcomes. While spasticity management—including orthopedic surgery and chemoneurolysis - is a major focus during childhood, interventions are often discontinued after skeletal maturity, typically around age 18. As a result, adults with CP frequently experience functional decline, increased pain from untreated chronic spasticity, reduced participation in physical activity, and early-onset arthritis.

With a growing population of adults with CP seeking evaluation and treatment, it is essential that providers understand the evolving needs of this group. Despite increased use of spasticity management strategies such as chemoneurolysis, intrathecal baclofen, selective dorsal rhizotomy, and orthopedic surgery, there remains a lack of research and evidence-based guidelines for managing spasticity throughout adulthood. 

This course will provide a longitudinal perspective on spasticity management in CP, reviewing current research and clinical approaches. Topics will include:

1. Challenges associated with aging in CP;
2. Indications for adult spasticity management;
3. Selection processes and outcomes of spasticity interventions;
4. Considerations for dosing and muscle selection in botulinum toxin and alcohol/phenol injections;
5. Surgical interventions for spasticity management; and
6. Orthopedic management of early-onset arthritis and other musculoskeletal issues contributing to functional decline.

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10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Carondelet

EDU67: Prioritizing Treatment: Chronic Pain, Mood Disorder and ADHD in Patient's with Cerebral Palsy
Minnelly Vasquez, LCSW; Agnes Whitaker, MD; Hana Azizi, MD, MPH; Elisabeth Bates, MSN; Dina Baum; Margaret Lusch, MS; Eduardo del Rosario, Jr., PhD, FNP-BC

Purpose: The educational session will discuss complex cerebral palsy cases involving chronic physical pain, ADHD, and mood disorders, as well as how to prioritize treatment. A multidisciplinary team of providers, including psychiatrists, physiatrists, orthopedic surgeons, and nurses, will share how they collaborated with each other, the patient, and the family to achieve optimal treatment outcomes. The session will also feature patients providing feedback on the impact of symptoms, medical care, and treatment progress.

It will benefit both healthcare providers and individuals with lived experience by offering valuable insights into the challenges of managing complex cerebral palsy cases and highlighting effective strategies for improving care. Through open discussion and shared experiences, the session aims to foster a deeper understanding of patient-centered treatment approaches, encourage collaboration among healthcare professionals, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for individuals living with cerebral palsy.

Target Audience: The target audience is both physicians, allied health professionals and individuals with CP & families with lived experience.

Background and Summary: The educational session will be presented by a multidisciplinary medical team in collaboration with individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). It will explore how chronic pain is a common issue in CP and how it impacts mood disorders. Additionally, mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are prevalent in individuals with CP due to physical limitations and social barriers. When a patient also has a diagnosis of ADHD, it can exacerbate mood disorder symptoms and make it more difficult for them to engage in effective pain management. However, treatments such as physical therapy, medications, and assistive devices can enhance comfort and daily functioning. A multidisciplinary approach—incorporating physicians, therapists, mental health professionals, and caregivers—is crucial for addressing these interconnected challenges and ensuring a holistic, patient-centered care plan tailored to each individual’s needs.

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Free Paper Session P: Community Focus

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM | Grand Ballroom

9:15 AM - 9:21 AM
P1: Experiences of Mental Health Difficulties Among Young People with CP: Perspectives of Young People and Parents
Manjula Manikandan, PhD, Jessica Burke, Aisling Walsh, PhD, Claire Kerr, PhD, Ruth Kevlin, PhD, Kimberley J Smith, PhD, Aoife Twohig, Ian McClelland, Meriel Norris, PhD, Jennifer M M. Ryan, PhD

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9:22 AM - 9:28 AM 
P2: State Anxiety Associated with Orthopedic Surgery and Pain Interference in Children with Cerebral Palsy – A 12 Month Prospective Study
Liz R. Boyer, PhD, Jason J. Howard, MD, M. Wade Shrader, MD, Tom F. Novacheck, MD, Frank Symons, PhD, Chantel C. Burkitt, PhD

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9:29 AM - 9:35 AM
P3: Co-creating a Patient-Oriented Research Toolkit for Child Health Researchers
Linda Nguyen, PhD, Marie-Eve Bolduc, PhD, Sevinj Asgarova, Yvonne Pelling, Jenny Gilbert, Alix Zerbo, Miriam Gonzalez, PhD, Heather Muir, Annette Majnemer, OT, PhD, FCAHS

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9:36 AM - 9:42 AM
P4: Exploring Suicide Risk in a Clinical Sample of Children and Adults with Cerebral Palsy
Mwuese R. Ngur, BA, Benjamin Schindel, MD, MPH, Allison Gornik, PhD, Suzanne Rybczynski, MD, MSHCM, Heather RM Riordan, MD, Eric M. Chin, MD, Paul H. Lipkin, MD

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9:46 AM - 9:52 AM
P5: Self reported Mental Health in Adults with Cerebral Palsy
Jensine Clark, MD

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9:53 AM - 9:59 AM
P6: Medical Student Perception of Disability Healthcare Needs
Simran Prakash

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10:00 AM - 10:06 AM
P7: The Prevalence of Mental Health Difficulties and Mental Disorders Among Children with Cerebral Palsy
Manjula Manikandan, PhD, Claire Kerr, PhD, Jennifer Fortune, PhD, Aoife Twohig, Ian McClelland, Jessica Burke, Kimberley J Smith, PhD, Michael Walsh, Ruth Kevlin, PhD, Jennifer M M. Ryan, PhD

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10:07 AM - 10:13 AM
P8: Enhancing Healthcare Provider Knowledge of Cerebral Palsy Utilizing a Virtual Education ECHO Platform
Laurie Glader, MD, Nicole Jewett, MD

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General Session

11:30 AM - 1:15 PM  |  Grand Ballroom

Keynote Speaker: Angela Tuttle Prince

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Help the Community Council spread the word about the Community Forum! 

Download and share this flyer with your contacts and invite them to join you at the Forum!

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Please note: Participants in the Community Forum are only permitted to access the outlined sessions and presentations. They are not eligible to claim CME for any of the sessions. Community Forum participants must check in at the Annual Meeting Registration Desk to receive their badge, which will grant them access to the designated Community Forum sessions.

Registration is required for all Community Forum participants, including members of the AACPDM Community Council. Please contact meetings@aacpdm.org with any event questions.