FAQs

We have been studying hand function in cerebral palsy since 1991 and began developing and evaluating targeted interventions in 1997. Since then, more than 300 children have participated in our research studies.

Our team includes physical and occupational therapists, a neuroscientist, and a psychologist, with additional support from a certified social worker and pediatric neurologist. We are deeply committed to improving the lives of children with cerebral palsy and to creating research experiences that are engaging, supportive, and child-friendly.

Our work is guided by the belief that successful therapy depends on how children are motivated and engaged, rather than on the use of restrictive devices.

Our program differs from many traditional cerebral palsy treatment camps in that we do not simply increase the intensity of existing physical or occupational therapy approaches. Instead, our treatment models are developed from the ground up using principles drawn from neuroscience, child development, and motor learning.

We are committed to evidence-based care and continually refine our interventions through ongoing research and evaluation. Our findings are regularly shared with the clinical community through presentations and peer-reviewed publications so that others can build on this work.

By participating in our studies, families not only contribute to research that may benefit their own child, but also help advance and improve care for children with cerebral palsy more broadly.

Participation is free for children who qualify! While we incur significant costs, we rely on the volunteer work of trained graduate students to make it cost-effective. We have also received grants and donations to help us defray these costs.

To date, both Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT) have shown beneficial outcomes for many of the children who have participated in our studies, and families are often very pleased with their child’s progress. Most children show improvement, and our screening process helps identify participants who, based on our experience, are most likely to benefit from these interventions.

The degree of improvement may vary depending on factors such as the child’s level of impairment, the amount of practice completed during the intervention, and continued use of the involved hand and arm at home. At a minimum, families can expect their child to have a fun, engaging, and supportive experience while participating.

Both CIMT and HABIT have been shown to be effective interventions. Our findings to date suggest that the two approaches offer similar overall benefits, although our ongoing research is exploring whether there are subtle differences between them.

It is possible that one treatment may be a better fit than the other for a particular child, depending on factors such as age, level of hand impairment, and specific treatment goals. Our current work is focused on better understanding these individual differences.

No. We were the first to study this approach in children with hemiplegia, beginning in 1997, and more than 200 children have since participated in our constraint program. We adapted the original adult casting model substantially to make it more child-friendly, using a removable cotton sling rather than a cast. While we believe Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy plays an important role in rehabilitation, we do not view it as the only or ultimate solution. We believe the approach can be improved and that other effective alternatives also exist.

We understand that the decision to have your child participate in CIMT is a personal one, and we respect that choice either way. It is important to note that CIMT does not have to involve casting or be carried out in an invasive manner. In 2012, Dr. Gordon participated in an international consensus on pediatric CIMT, which concluded that despite various claims, there is no evidence that any one approach is superior to another, largely because the different approaches have never been directly compared.

In the absence of clear evidence favoring one method over another, we choose to provide CIMT in the most child-friendly way possible. Nearly all children enjoy participating. Even if one approach were eventually shown to have an advantage, CIMT can be repeated multiple times throughout childhood, and even into adulthood, with continued benefit. For that reason, we believe the experience should be as positive and enjoyable as possible so it can be used again whenever needed. At the same time, we also developed HABIT as an alternative for families who prefer an approach that does not involve restraint.

We wish every child could participate. However, our treatment camps are conducted as part of a research study, so participant selection is based on the likelihood that a child will benefit, as well as our ability to measure meaningful changes over the course of the intervention. This depends on factors such as age, cognitive abilities, and the severity of impairment. Our eligibility criteria are designed to maximize the chances that children who qualify will benefit from participating, while also ensuring that families’ time is used wisely.

At present, we are recruiting children aged 6 to 17 years old. Because the intervention is intensive, it has been designed to be both appropriate and child-friendly for these age ranges. That said, we may adapt the program in the future to better suit younger children, so we encourage families of children of any age to contact us.

Currently, children ages 6 to 17 are eligible for recruitment into our studies. Our intervention camps are fairly intensive and have been designed to be engaging and child-friendly for children older than 6 years. In the near future, we will also be launching an Early Tracking and Intervention project, which will follow the development of hand function from the time of diagnosis through approximately 18 months of age, with guidance and early treatment provided along the way. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.

No. It simply means that the way our program is currently designed may not be the best fit for your child at this time, or that our current assessment tools may not be able to capture meaningful changes right now.

Depending on the child, there may still be a strong possibility of benefit from similar services delivered in a different setting or format. It is also encouraging that some children who did not initially qualify for our studies were later able to participate after gaining additional hand function through ongoing therapy and support from their families. In several cases, children became eligible a year or even several years after their initial prescreening.

No. We view the intense treatment as creating a window of opportunity. Subsequent use and practice at home would be required to retain any improvement if seen. Thus, we train parents with some basic strategies to continue to build on what we achieve.

These studies were designed and funded to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention. At this stage, we are still collecting and analyzing data to better understand whether the intervention leads to meaningful improvements in hand and arm function.

Because this work is still under investigation, we do not currently recommend the intervention as a standard therapeutic approach. For that reason, we do not provide training to therapists or parents outside the context of our research studies. That said, there are other groups that offer similar services, and we have heard positive feedback from many families who have participated in those programs.

No. Although our team includes physical and occupational therapists and there are some similarities to traditional therapies, our intervention was developed from the ground up based on principles of neuroscience and child psychology. We are committed to translational research and evidence-based practice. While intensity is an important component, equally essential is the use of structured, purposeful practice.

Participation is fun! To the child, it is largely play and most children adapt quickly and would like to return (many have!). For such intensive therapy to work, we need to make the environment as enriched as possible.

Our intervention camps take place in the Movement Sciences Program which is located at 525 W. 120th St., Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.