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Cindy Thompson, PT, ATP -> Re: Pediatrics Curriculum (April 17, 2001 12:08:00 PM)
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Audrey,
I am presently a clinical instructor for a local PT assistant program. When I receive students, the hardest thing for them to comprehend for practical application/treatment is the impact of congenital disabilities and how different children disabled from birth are from people with acquired disabilities. I'm in Florida where the majority of their patients in other clinical affiliations are over 55. In order to understand the implications of abnormal development, the students need to understand normal development. Is that covered in the revised teaching model? I think it would be extremely difficult to understand how different a system that has never experienced normal movement, normal muscle pull, and weight bearing is from a system that was damaged after experiencing 16 to 80 years of normal movement unless you understand normal development.
I would consider knowledge of normal development and some abnormal development absolutely essential as a basis to build upon.
I feel it is my responsibility as a clinical instructor to teach treatment techniques, but the students can't understand the treatment rationale without an adequate knowledge base.
Cindy
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