Teaching Motor Skills to Children With Cerebral Palsy And Similar Movement Disorders

Written by an experienced physical therapist, this practical guide gives parents the keys they need to help their child with cerebral palsy or another developmental delay master gross motor skills beginning in infancy. Organized in the sequence children acquire gross motor skills, this guide explains how motor development unfolds, and how cerebral palsy can affect this development. There are dozens of illustrated exercises that can help children gradually strengthen back, neck and tummy muscles and then master motor skills, such as head control, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. Real-life vignettes provide examples of how parents, children, and physical therapists interact, what difficulties can arise and how to try and work through them. The author guides parents step-by-step through techniques and practical exercises that address such issues as: ? head control ? muscle tone ? proper positioning ? involuntary movements ? stretching and flexibility ? balance and coordination ? strength training this practical guide makes it easy for parents and other caregivers to reinforce at home the exercises introduced by a child's physical therapist.