Clinical bottom line. Intensive motor skills training program combining group and individual sessions for children with cerebral palsy.

摘要

Storvold and Jahnsen have provided us with research that presents an alternative method to provide intensive therapy using a combination of groups and individualized therapy. What is clearly seen from the research is that with extensive planning and coordination of care by several professionals, it is possible to combine children of different ages and Gross Motor Function Classification System levels into groups and expect progress toward individual functional goals. They provide a clinically useful description of the design of group sessions and the alterations and creativity needed to meet each individual child's needs within the group context. The use of Goal Attainment Scaling is a clinically useful method to organize each child's individual goals and provides a reminder to professionals and parents as to their child's progress toward these individual goals. With limited resources or in rural areas, this creative approach to provide short-term intensive therapy services might be an effective solution. In addition, combining group and individual therapy into an intensive model may be feasible in several pediatric practice settings including, but not limited to, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, and early intervention. As the authors indicated from preliminary results, parents preferred intensive periods compared with low-frequency therapy sessions spread over a longer time. Further information on the interpretation of the parent interviews, loss, and questionnaires from this study would provide more information on this important perspective.