Search Results (17)

In a large, urban US public school district that began a new identification system for gifted education focused on the equity and inclusion of twice-exceptional (2e) students, a need for the further training of educators involved with assessment, services, and planning with this unique group of students was warranted. After attending a professional learning (PL) event, 243 ancillary staff members (school psychologists, social workers, occupational and physical therapists, and speech/language pathologists) completed a survey with both closed- and open-ended responses. This study was guided by the research question: How does professional development on twice-exceptional (2e) students affect ancillary staff’s knowledge and confidence for supporting 2e students? The survey results provided valuable insights (themes) into participants’ perceptions of their understanding and ability to support 2e students after the PL session. Full article

Background/Objectives: With the expected growth in the number of people with dementia and the effect it has on their daily life, physical therapists will be required to provide competent care across all settings for people with dementia. This study aimed to explore the effects of a competency-based education (CBE) intervention consisting of interprofessional education (IPE) and experiential learning on perceived dementia care competence and confidence among physical therapy students and to determine recruitment and retention rates of the multi-phasic study. Methods: A total of 13 sixth-semester Doctor of Physical Therapy students participated in IPE (Phase 1) and experiential learning (Phase 2) and completed the Dementia Care Competency Model (DCCM) 2.0 and Confidence in Dementia Scale (CODE) at three time points (pre-test and after Phases 1 and 2). Results: The recruitment and retention rates were 89% and 36%, respectively. The DCCM 2.0 (F-test = 10.57, partial eta squared = 0.66) and the CODE (F-test = 21.27, partial eta squared = 0.80) showed large effect sizes between the three measurement time points. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that CBE facilitates the development of core dementia care competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice and person-centered care, as well as practitioner confidence development in dementia care. Full article

Background: Weight stigma describes the negative attitudes held toward people with obesity. Weight bias stereotypes have been previously reported in physicians, physician assistants, nurses, registered dieticians, psychologists, and students enrolled in healthcare professional education programs. Physical and occupational therapists (PTs and OTs) are healthcare providers who evaluate and treat individuals across their lifespan. A PT or an OT who harbors weight bias may create an environment where the patient may fail to optimize their rehabilitation recovery. The first purpose of this scoping review was to identify the prevalence of weight bias in PT and OT clinicians and students. The second purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions at reducing weight bias in these populations. Methods: The CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched, and 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: In each study, PT and/or OT clinicians and/or students demonstrated weight bias. A minimum of approximately twenty percent of surveyed participants had weight bias, with one study reporting over eighty percent of subjects expressing negative attitudes. Three of the studies reported mixed results (i.e., improvement or worsening) regarding weight bias scores after intervention. Conclusions: PT and OT clinicians and students demonstrate weight bias similar to other healthcare professionals. Future research is warranted to identify educational interventions that reduce bias within these populations. Full article

This study aims to analyze the possibility of developing balance ability, highlighting symmetries, asymmetries, and levels of proprioception, in children aged 11–13 from practicing indoor and outdoor climbing and bouldering/escalation exercises. The research subjects were 54 children (both boys and girls) aged 11–13, divided into two groups: an experimental group of 28 students (14 boys and 14 girls) who participated in an extracurricular climbing activity twice a week during the 2023–2024 school year, and a control group of 26 students (13 boys and 13 girls) who did not engage in extracurricular motor activities. During the initial and final evaluations, 12 tests were used to assess balance ability, symmetries, and asymmetries—10 tests were conducted using the Sensbalance MiniBoard 1.0 platform in addition to the Standing Stork test for each leg. The analysis of the results showed statistically significant differences between the groups, with the experimental group recording improvements in symmetry and proprioception related to increased balance levels. This work is addressed to teachers, trainers, and physical therapists who, in the educational process, aim to develop balance and proprioception as objectives that improve children’s motor skills. In conclusion, the study results reveal the impact of a program based on climbing and escalating exercises in extracurricular activities on the development of static and dynamic balance ability. Full article

Background/Objectives: “Return-to-play” and “return-to-learn” after a concussion are familiar concepts due to guidelines proposed by the Concussion in Sport Group and Heads-Up Initiative. The purpose of this commentary is to expand upon the current consensus guidelines for treatment of concussed children and adolescents, as well as provide guidelines for returning to physical education (RT-PE) classes. Proposal: The authors propose one general and four subtype-specific guidelines post-concussion injury. This framework highlights the role of physical therapists in the management of children with prolonged recovery. The final RT-PE determination should occur with documented medical clearance from a licensed healthcare provider trained in the evaluation and management of a concussion. Conclusions: Despite significant gains regarding the management of concussed children and adolescents, confusion remains regarding RT-PE post-concussion. To eliminate ambiguity and promote adherence to a gradual return to activity protocols, the authors developed guidelines based on current evidence and recommendations. Full article

Background and Objectives: In many sports, maintaining muscle work at an optimal level despite fatigue is crucial. Therefore, it is essential to discover the most efficient way of recovery. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the acute effects of four different recovery methods on muscle neuromechanical properties. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted using a randomized, quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design. Fourteen healthy and active male students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education (age 25.1 ± 3.9 years) were included in this study. The tensiomyography was used to evaluate muscle responses after four different types of short-term recovery methods (passive rest, percussive mechanical, vibro-mechanical, and manual massage) on the rectus femoris muscle on four occasions: baseline, post fatigue, post recovery and prolonged recovery. Results: The ANOVA revealed that muscle fatigue decreased maximal vertical muscle displacement (Dm) and muscle contraction time (Tc) in post fatigue compared to the baseline. The most important finding shows that only the vibro-mechanical massage resulted in an increase in Tc in the prolonged recovery compared to the post fatigue (p = 0.028), whereas only manual massage showed no differences in Dm from the baseline in post-recovery (p = 0.148). Moreover, both manual and vibro-mechanical massages increased Dm and Tc in prolonged recovery, indicating no differences from the baseline (all p > 0.05), thus showing signs of muscle recovery. Percussion mechanical massage and passive rest did not show indices of muscle recovery. Conclusions: Manual massage could induce immediate positive changes in Dm by reducing muscle stiffness. In addition, vibro-mechanical and manual massage improved muscle tissue by rapidly returning Dm and Tc values to baseline at prolonged recovery measurement (5 min after the fatigue protocol). These findings can benefit sports practitioners, and physical therapists in developing the best recovery method after muscle fatigue. Full article

Aims: To evaluate a collaborative participation-based therapy approach for two preschool students with multiple disabilities from the experience of Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, highlighting the perspective of the physical therapist. Methods: The phases of collaborative participation-based therapy were implemented: (a) collaborative relationships were developed and supported within the IEP teams, (b) collaborative meaningful physical recreation goals were developed for participation at school, (c) strengths and needs assessments using the “Collaborative Process for Action Plans to Achieve Participation Goals” were conducted with IEP teams, (d) participation-based interventions were provided, and (e) goal achievement and processes were evaluated. The use of technology for collaboration was encouraged. The physical therapist kept intervention logs and wrote reflective journal entries. Interventions adhered to COVID-19 regulations. Goal achievement was measured using Goal Attainment Scaling. IEP team members completed questionnaires on their experiences. Results: One student met their goal expectation, and one student exceeded their goal expectation. The students were engaged, and IEP team members’ experiences were positive. Conclusions: The use of participation-based therapy is meaningful, feasible, and acceptable to IEP teams. Team collaboration and flexibility were instrumental to successful implementation. Strategies to promote effective communication and the use of technology would support a participation-based therapy approach. Full article

Recently, motorized mobility devices (or power mobility devices (PMDs)) have been introduced for infants and toddlers who lack the means for self-mobility. Previous reports have primarily focused on PMDs for individuals with cerebral palsy. Few have explored PMDs for individuals with neuromuscular diseases who have intellectual disabilities. This report presents a case study of the early introduction of a PMD for an infant with Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy and presents the results of an interview with the father regarding psychological aspects and the child’s manipulative abilities. The PMD was introduced at the age of 1 year and 10 months, and the changes during the 19 months after the introduction were evaluated six times, using the Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use tool (ALP). A semi-structured interview with the father was conducted 19 months after the introduction. The ALP evaluation and the interview were conducted by one physical therapist and two physical therapy students, and the results were shared with the hospital’s physical therapist and nurses at the nursing facility. This report provides a basis for expanding the scope of PMD use and for considering the family’s involvement, especially for the child. Full article

Electromyography (EMG) is a multidisciplinary field that brings together allied health (kinesiology and physical therapy) and the engineering sciences (biomedical and electrical). Since the physical sciences are used in the measurement of a biological process, the presentation of the theoretical foundations of EMG is most conveniently conducted using math and physics. However, given the multidisciplinary nature of EMG, a course will most likely include students from diverse backgrounds, with varying levels of math and physics. This is a pedagogical paper that outlines an approach for teaching foundational concepts in EMG to kinesiologists and physical therapists that uses a combination of analogies, visual descriptions, and qualitative analysis of biophysical concepts to develop an intuitive understanding for those who are new to surface EMG. The approach focuses on muscle fiber action potentials (MFAPs), motor unit action potentials (MUAPs), and compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) because changes in these waveforms are much easier to identify and describe in comparison to the surface EMG interference pattern (IP). Full article

College students encounter various types of stresses in school due to schoolwork, personal relationships, health issues, and future career concerns. Some students are susceptible to the strikes of failures and are inexperienced with or fearful of dealing with setbacks. When these negative emotions gradually accumulate without resolution, they can cause long-term negative effects on students’ physical and mental health. Some potential health problems include depression, anxiety, and disorders such as eating disorders. Universities commonly offer counseling services; however, the demand often exceeds the counseling capacities due to limited numbers of counsellors/psychologists. Thus, students may not receive immediate counseling or treatments. If students are not treated, some repercussions may lead to severe abnormal behavior and even suicide. In this study, combining immersive virtual reality (VR) technique with psychological knowledge base, we developed a VR empathy-centric counseling chatbot (VRECC) that can complementarily support troubled students when counsellors cannot provide immediate support. Through multi-turn (verbal or text) conversations with the chatbot, the system can demonstrate empathy and give therapist-like responses to the users. During the study, more than 120 students were required to complete a questionnaire and 34 subjects with an above-median stress level were randomly drawn for the VRECC experiment. We observed decreasing average stress level and psychological sensitivity scores among subjects after the experiment. Although the system did not yield improvement in life-impact scores (e.g., behavioral and physical impacts), the significant outcomes of lowering stress level and psychological sensitivity have given us a very positive outlook for continuing to integrate VR, AI sentimental natural language process, and counseling chatbot for advanced VRECC research in helping students improve their psychological well-being and life quality at schools. Full article

Minoritized health sciences students report experiencing social isolation and discrimination, and cite the lack of faculty representation as barriers to their success. While virtual mentoring can increase sense of belonging and connectedness, these effects have not been examined in minoritized health sciences students. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether virtual mentoring from faculty and peers could decrease social isolation and promote social belonging among minoritized first-year physical therapy and nursing students. Using a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, racial and ethnic minority physical therapy and nursing students (n = 8) received virtual mentoring and attended virtual networking events while students from across the health profession programs served as a comparison group (n = 16). While virtual mentoring relationships took longer to establish, there was an increase in satisfaction with mentoring for the intervention group compared with no improvement for the comparison group who received traditional academic advising. Qualitative data analysis revealed that mentors served as role models who had overcome barriers and persevered, decreasing feelings of isolation, and bolstering mentee confidence. A virtual multiple-mentor model can decrease isolation and promote social belonging for minoritized students and offer support for students even after the pandemic. Full article

Background: Physical therapists routinely measure range of motion (ROM) of cervical spine. The reliability of the cervical range of motion (CROM) device has been demonstrated in several studies, but current evidence on the validity and reliability of the visual inspection is contradictory. The aim is to assess the validity and interexaminer reliability of the online visual inspection of active cervical ROM in physiotherapy students. Methods: Flexion, extension, both lateral flexions and rotations of a single participant were measured using CROM. Online visual inspection of 18 physiotherapy students against CROM was registered. Results: The validity, against CROM, of the online visual inspection of the active ROM ranged from good to excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) 0.83–0.97). Interexaminer reliability of the online visual inspection had favorable outcomes in all cervical movements in the three physiotherapy courses (ICC 0.70–0.96), with the visual inspection of the rotations being the most reliable (ICC 0.93–0.97). Interexaminer reliability of the classification of mobility was poor to good (Kappa 0.03–0.90). Conclusions: The interexaminer reliability and validity of the quantification of active cervical movement during online visual inspection was shown to be good to excellent for flexion-extension and lateral flexions and excellent for rotations. Full article

A behavior which is increasing in prevalence is sexual harassment initiated by a client and displayed towards the healthcare professionals and students of these healthcare-related professions. This is termed inappropriate patient sexual behaviour (IPSB). The consequences of IPSB can be significant, including decreased academic and work performance, decreased attention/concentration, reductions in work satisfaction, and a loss of confidence. The primary aim is to evaluate the literature on sexual harassment in physiotherapy. The secondary aim is to report on the incidence, situational factors, and suggested strategies. The databases Pubmed, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, Embase via OVID, ProQuest, and EBM Reviews were searched from inception up to 5 November 2021. Data on the incidence, situations, and strategies were extracted by at least two independent researchers. The quality of included articles was assessed. Nine studies of cohort and cross-sectional design were included. The incidence of IPSB was reported to be between 48–100% of the samples of physiotherapy students and/or therapists. The situational factors are reported, and the recommended educational strategies are discussed. Articles suggest that educating physiotherapists and/or students about sexual harassment would be beneficial. This will help predict potential issues and highlight strategies to empower therapists in the workplace and in training. Full article

Student satisfaction is a crucial aspect in the quality assessment of higher education. The aim of the present study was to assess the degree of satisfaction among students in the Faculties of physiotherapy throughout Spain concerning online teaching during the State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional observational design. The online questionnaire DISFISCOVID was distributed to 24 physiotherapy faculties across Spain. A sample of 348 physiotherapy students from 14 Spanish universities completed the questionnaire. It showed high reliability evidence, achieving Cronbach’s alpha indices higher than 0.870, alongside a McDonald’s ωH of 0.876. On the whole, students were not satisfied with online learning during the State of Emergency, considering it unsuitable for their learning in either the theoretical or practical field of subjects in the degree of physiotherapy. In conclusion, the perception of physiotherapy students concerning the teaching they received, as far as practical contents and assessment methods are concerned, was not very satisfactory in those Faculties in which online learning platforms were not being used beforehand, and was more satisfactory when teaching was carried out in-person in the classroom. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global transition from in-person to online instruction leaving many higher education faculty with little time or training for this responsibility. Physical therapist education programs were especially impacted since a large part of the development of skills rely on face-to-face onsite practice. This phenomenological study explored the perceptions of physical therapist educators in three countries—Brazil, Cyprus, and the United States, who transitioned to an entirely virtual medium of teaching during the pandemic. Sixteen faculty participated in 1:1 semi-structured interviews. Trustworthiness of qualitative inquiry was ascertained using triangulation, thick descriptions, and peer reviews. Four major themes emerged from analysis of participants’ interview data: adapting pedagogy in real-time, expected excellence, limitations of the medium, and informing future teaching practice. All participants described teaching during the pandemic as one of the most challenging experiences of their professional careers. Despite available resources, faculty noted challenges in making authentic connections with students, adapting to technological interruptions, assessment of student understanding of content, and managing work-life balance. Despite the challenges, faculty worked collaboratively with peers to innovate new approaches of creating social, cognitive, and teaching presence. Unique opportunities arose from the pandemic to enhance future teaching practice. Full article