Assessment and Intervention for Dyspraxia and Postural Disorders (Johnson - Online)

Course overview

Despite being a relatively unknown and confusing disorder, dyspraxia is thought to be present in roughly 6-10% of children. Many display a mild presentation of symptoms but experience a significant impact on daily function. Alternatively known as Developmental Coordination Disorder,"clumsy child syndrome", or impaired motor planning, dyspraxia in its many forms can result in a chronic inability to meet task demands, difficulty with social interactions/play skills, and reduced independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Likewise, postural disorders that include core weakness, low muscle tone, ocular-motor deficits, and deficits in balance and coordination contribute to similar issues due to poor endurance, impaired coordination of body, eyes, hands/feet, and deficits in motor control and stability. Many children who display symptoms of these Sensory-Based Motor Disorders (SBMDs) go undiagnosed, are misdiagnosed with behavioral disorders, and are untreated for the underlying motor concerns that are the source of their challenges. This course will guide participants in understanding the impact that SBMDs have on functional performance, behavior, relationships, and learning while providing a practical guide to clinical assessment for identification of potential SBMDs in children. Neurological underpinnings of SBMDs will be reviewed and clinical observations related to sensory systems and motor performance assessment will be presented. Participants will have an opportunity to practice clinical observations, familiarize themselves with various assessment tools, and learn practical accommodations and strategies to support children whose task performance is affected by SBMDs. This course is designed to help all practitioners improve outcomes of therapeutic interventions that are impacted by challenges due to SBMDs.