Pushing Pediatrics

Join Sheila and special guest Emily Gaylord, PT, DPT, PCS this week as they cover all things related to school-based physical therapy. Emily has spent the last few years diving deep into educational law, making her uniquely qualified to help you prepare for the PCS exam! Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below - along with all of the other supplemental materials recommended by Emily and linked below. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier. https://pediatricapta.org/fact-sheets/ https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/13159/urlt/cert.pdf https://vota.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Handouts%20Cecere.pdf https://www.seekfreaks.com/index.php/2016/10/27/hefreak-says-shefreak-says-pt-counts-takeaways/ https://www.uky.edu/chs/physical-therapy/research/pt-counts

Today we are diving into the 2004 article by Joanne Valvano, “Activity-focused motor interventions for children with neurological conditions”. While it is an older article, this article contains a lot of great concepts that continue to influence the way we shape care for pediatric patients with neurological conditions. This article is a must read whether you are new to pediatrics, prepping for the PCS, or revisiting the theory behind pediatric physical therapy! Valvano, J. (2004). Activity-Focused Motor Interventions for Children with Neurological Conditions. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 24(1–2), 79–107. https://doi-org.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/10.1300/J006v24n01_04Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

We know that research and statistics may seem intimidating sometimes, which is why we are tackling this topic together! Understanding statistics is not only important for your board exam prep, but for your clinical practice too. Knowing how to interpret these concepts makes a huge difference when reading studies and applying evidence-based practices. Today we will cover statistical significance, sample size, p-value, and more. Thanks for joining us today, and remember, you’ve got this!Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Welcome to the first Journal Club of Season 5! We are diving into a really interesting article for today’s episode. While new, from 2025, we felt it was an important article to cover because it is a great example of how VR can be incorporated with treating autistic patients and is a great example for us to review how to critique study design aspects and outcomes, which you will need to know how to do to be successful on your PCS exam. Thanks for joining us!Abdel Ghafar, M. A., Abdelraouf, O. R., Harraz, E. M., Seyam, M. K., Morsy, W. E., Amin, W. M., & Abd-Elfattah, H. M. (2025). Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Helps to Improve Postural Balance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Control Trial. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 45(4), 423–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2025.2466555Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

If you listened to last week’s episode, we talked about our grouping strategy for genetic syndromes that you’ll need to know for the PCS exam. We had many of our listeners ask for a more in depth review too, so today’s episode will be a deep dive into the 2023 article about 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. We’ll be reviewing things to know for each system and bring all that knowledge together to discuss how you could see questions about this syndrome on the PCS exam and where it fits into our genetic syndrome grouping method. Óskarsdóttir, S., Boot, E., Crowley, T. B., Loo, J. C. Y., Arganbright, J. M., Armando, M., Baylis, A. L., Breetvelt, E. J., Castelein, R. M., Chadehumbe, M., Cielo, C. M., de Reuver, S., Eliez, S., Fiksinski, A. M., Forbes, B. J., Gallagher, E., Hopkins, S. E., Jackson, O. A., Levitz-Katz, L., Klingberg, G., … McDonald-McGinn, D. M. (2023). Updated clinical practice recommendations for managing children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 25(3), 100338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2022.11.006Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Today’s episode of Pushing Pediatrics is a reference guide to understanding common genetic syndromes you’ll likely see in practice. Instead of memorizing every genetic syndrome while studying, group syndromes with similar clinical themes together. This will not only be easier to study, but will help you think about these syndromes with regards to their functional status and apply them clinically. We’ll be going over some example patient clusters and sharing our “PT pearls” for these groups you should be thinking about while studying for the PCS exam.Catalino, T., Bloyer, M., Shamus, E., & Miles, C. (Eds.). (2024). Guide to pediatric physical therapy: A clinical approach (1st ed.). McGraw‑Hill Education. Valvano, J. (2004). Activity-Focused Motor Interventions for Children with Neurological Conditions. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 24(1–2), 79–107. Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website.Use code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes.Follow us on Instagram.This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Welcome back to Pushing Pediatrics - your favorite study supplementation for the PCS exam! We have had 4 successful seasons thanks to you all, our listeners! And a special thank you to those of you who subscribe to our Friday episodes. We are so excited to be bringing you Season 5 of the Pushing Pediatrics Podcast and plan to make it our best season yet.Today we are going to dive into the DSP, the Description of Specialty Practice in Pediatric Physical Therapy and how to utilize it as the anchor to your PCS test prep. We’ll be covering tips and strategies on how to be thinking of different aspects of the DSP while studying, a little about what test questions may be like on the PCS exam, and how to integrate your previous clinical knowledge with info from the DSP to think like a pediatric specialist. Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website.Use code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes on Fridays.Follow us on Instagram.This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Today on the podcast we are welcoming back a familiar face, Helen Carey, PT, DHSc, PCS, assistant professor at South College in Knoxville, TN. Before dedicating herself fully to the academic field, she previously developed and directed the pediatric physical therapy residency program at Ohio State University and worked in research labs and other pediatric physical therapy settings. Having held her certification in pediatric physical therapy since 1999, Helen has a wealth of knowledge in this field and is going to discuss outcome measures with us in today’s episode.  Check out Rehab Knowledge PCS Advantage for study guides and practice exams! Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website Use code PUSHING PEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription!  Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes Follow us on Instagram This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

We have the pleasure of welcoming Cameron Brown, PT, DPT, PCS back to the podcast this week! She previously was on to discuss her process of taking the PCS exam. She currently teaches at West Coast University assistant teaching their DPT program and works in outpatient early intervention pediatric PT.  Cameron is going to be sharing with us and breaking down Hypothesis-Oriented Pediatric Focused Algorithm on today’s episode and its special considerations for our pediatric populations.Lisa K. Kenyon, The Hypothesis-Oriented Pediatric Focused Algorithm: A Framework for Clinical Reasoning in Pediatric Physical Therapist Practice, Physical Therapy, Volume 93, Issue 3, 1 March 2013, Pages 413–420Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHING PEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they transition to adulthood and assistive technology. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below! This is our final content episode this season! Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.

Join Sheila and special guest this week Emily Knell Spaeth, PT, DPT, IBCLC, LMT, NTMTC, CNT, RPYT as they cover all things related to the NICU. Dr. Emily Spaeth is an expert in all things pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and babies. She is the founder and CEO of Be Well Baby PDX. While supporting families as a doctor of physical therapy in the neonatal ICU, Emily saw a deep societal need for a more holistic approach to peripartum care, and decided to blend her background in yoga, massage, and lactation support with her expertise in physical therapy to create a full spectrum peripartum experience for her clients.  Emily offers a range of continuing education courses for professionals on the Lactation OT platform.  Additionally, her website offers an array of courses covering topics that help parents understand their baby's cues, infant massage techniques, newborn care essentials, and more.  Courses: www.bewellbabypdx.com/courses FREE GUIDE- Respectful Tummy Time for the Newborn:  www.bewellbabypdx.com/subscribe Follow her on Instagram and Facebook and Linked In @bewellbabypdx Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier. https://pediatricapta.org/fact-sheets/ Sweeney JK, Heriza CB, Blanchard Y; American Physical Therapy Association. Neonatal physical therapy. Part I: clinical competencies and neonatal intensive care unit clinical training models. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2009 Winter;21(4):296-307. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0b013e3181bf75ee. PMID: 19923969. Sweeney JK, Heriza CB, Blanchard Y, Dusing SC. Neonatal physical therapy. Part II: Practice frameworks and evidence-based practice guidelines. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2010 Spring;22(1):2-16. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0b013e3181cdba43. Erratum in: Pediatr Phys Ther. 2010 Winter;22(4):377. PMID: 20142700. https://neonataltherapists.com/ https://www.neonatalcertification.com/certification/ https://www.caringessentials.net/ https://www.liddlekidz.org/cimt-certification-advanced-level-2/ https://neonataltherapycertification.com/

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they cover cystic fibrosis, asthma and congenital heart defects. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below and don't forget the Case Files book case studies. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they cover Autism. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they cover traumatic Brain Injury and Myelodysplasia (spina bifida). Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below and don't forget the Case Files book case study. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.

Join Sheila this week, with special guest Marissa Slate, PT, DPT, PCS, as they dive into the world of early intervention. Get ready for a jam-packed episode filled with valuable information and gain invaluable insights into the world of early intervention and IDEA Part C! Marissa is an experienced early intervention therapist who opened her own practice in 2020 to continue serving patients in the underserved county she lives in. She works PRN for the local children's hospital and teaches didactic content for two different pediatric residency programs. She mentors in early intervention, both for the pediatric residency in Charleston, SC, but also to APTA pediatric section members. She holds many leadership roles within her state physical therapy association and the APPT, and is passionate about improving access to care for patients and increasing reimbursement rates for clinicians. Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier. Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) - https://ectacenter.org/ DEC (Division of Early Childhood) - https://www.dec-sped.org/ Early Childhood Personnel Center - https://ecpcta.org/ APTA Fact Sheets - https://pediatricapta.org/fact-sheets/

Join Sheila this week as she covers brachial plexus injury and spinal cord injury. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below and the CPG referenced below. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier. Coroneos CJ, Voineskos SH, Christakis MK on behalf of The Canadian OBPI Working Group, et alObstetrical brachial plexus injury (OBPI): Canada's national clinical practice guidelineBMJ Open 2017;7:e014141. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014141

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they cover Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and Intellectual Disabilities. They also touch on some genetic conditions. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below and don't forget the DCD CPG. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier. Dannemiller, Lisa PT, DSc, PCS; Mueller, Melinda PT, DPT, PCS; Leitner, Adrah PT, DPT, PCS; Iverson, Erin PT, DPT, PCS; Kaplan, Sandra L. PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA. Physical Therapy Management of Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline From the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Pediatric Physical Therapy 32(4):p 278-313, October 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000753

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they cover sports injuries and pediatric cancer. This is a longer episode with some repetition from orthopedic conditions and a lot of material to cover. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.

Join Sheila and Sara this week as they cover limb deficiencies and amputations as well as orthopedic conditions. This is a longer episode with a lot of material to cover. Make sure you are supplementing our conversation with charts, tables and pictures from the Campbell text referenced below. Cheers and happy listening! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.

Join Sheila and Sara, along with Helen Carey, PT, DHSc, PCS, and Jessica Lewis, PT, DPT, PCS as we come together to dissect a case-style question from the PCS Advantage Case-Based exam! This unique opportunity not only allows you to practice a question but also provides a glimpse into the incredible benefits the PCS Advantage program has to offer in terms of test preparation. In this episode, we delve into a comprehensive vignette featuring multiple questions, providing invaluable insights for all participants. Best of all, this episode is available to everyone! Affiliate Codes: ------------------------------------------ Medbridge Affiliate website: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/pushing-pediatrics Medbridge Affiliate Code: PUSHINGPEDS ----------------------------------------- Resources: PCS Advantage: https://rehabknowledge.com/products/pcs-advantage/ Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N., & Schreiber, R. (2023). Campbell’s physical therapy for children. Elsevier.