Management of Cerebal Palsy

Children with a debilitating condition like cerebral palsy receive treatment from a variety of specialised therapists at once. This book documents and builds on the experiences of a team of special educators in south India, who have been experimenting with a new strategy for working with children with disabilities. In this approach, rehabilitation workers are trained in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy, thereby preparing them to serve as `Trandisciplinary' workers. These workers are thus equipped to offer each child a holistic treatment programme and more relevant integrated care for a range of disabilities. Termed the Trandisciplinary (TD) approach, this method is even more pertinent to India and other developing countries where the numbers are large and the resources few, thereby making this method effective and accessible to many more. While sharing the learning from this experiment, the author: - describes how the model of the Transdisciplinary approach was conceptualised and implemented-including the development of an innovative `TD course`; - illustrates, with case studies, how the TD approach is based on a lifespan perspective and allows the family to function as naturally as possible, while still successfully addressing the needs of a child with a disability; - argues that the TD approach, with its continuous give-and-take among stakeholders, makes the disabled person a partner in the treatment plan and is an improvement over the existing model that focuses primarily on medical services; and - puts into perspective the role of the professional rehabilitation worker in the context of the understanding of disability today. Catering to children with special needs is never easy. But evolving scholarship, like in this volume, makes the task more focused for teachers and parents. It comes with lots of case studies. -- The Indian Express This book documents and builds on the experiences of a team of special educators in south India, who have been experimenting with a new strategy for working with children with disabilities. -- www.hindustantimes.com This short publication describes and experiences of transdisciplinary working in South India....The book is clearly written and easy to read. -- British Journal of Occupation Therapy

Foreword Poonam Natarajan Message from the Skillshare CEO PART ONE: LIFE IS FOR LIVING The Importance of the Family From Special Educator to Transdisciplinary Worker Partnerships with Fellow Organizations Part TWO: INDIVIDUALS NEED SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL The Transdisciplinary Philosophy The Need for Appropriate Therapy Enriching the Quality of Life Children with Disability can be Independent: Case Studies The Multidisciplinary Team Reflections and Recommendations Appendix Index