Instructional Concurrent Session 1

Pediatric hand therapists play a critical role in shaping surgical outcomes for individuals with cerebral palsy, yet decision-making in complex cases often lacks a structured, collaborative approach. This session introduces a practical, interdisciplinary shared decision-making (SDM) model, ensuring that therapy professionals actively contribute to surgical planning alongside surgeons, physiatrists, and families.

Through interactive case discussions, video analysis, and real-world applications, attendees will learn to assess functional movement, identify patient-specific goals, and guide pre- and post-surgical interventions. The course will also explore Botox, selective denervation, tendon transfers, and muscle lengthening, providing therapists with the knowledge to advocate for evidence-based, functional outcomes.

Join us to develop clinically relevant skills, enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, and empower patients and families in making informed surgical decisions. This session offers valuable insights for any therapist involved in CP rehabilitation—helping you influence surgical planning and optimize patient recovery.

Sports participation continues to rise in the youth female population resulting in increases in acute and overuse upper extremity injuries leading to time away from play and loss of sport’s skill development. The upper extremity therapist requires additional specialized skills to provide optimal care for these patients. This session will discuss the evaluation and treatment of the pediatric and adolescent female’s upper extremity injuries and the influence of hormones, developmental physiology and psychology. Case examples will be utilized to illustrate the recovery strategies from the evaluation to the return to sport testing and programming.

Hand contracture release is common in children with congenital differences or traumatic injuries. After surgery, specialized care is required to facilitate wound healing and support optimal positioning; to optimize hand function, support developmental skills and facilitate participation. Over time, the growing skeleton and underlying anatomy increases the likelihood of repeat contracture. Therefore, it is important to utilize interventions that maintain mobility and hand function for as long as possible. Using lecture, demonstration and simulated hands-on experiential activities attendees will learn: (1) specialized strategies specific to caring for pediatric hand wounds, (2) the benefit of using post-operative casting for hand positioning, and (3) interventions to prolong surgical outcomes and functional hand use.