Paediatric Pelvic Health Strategies for Neurodiverse and Neurotypical Children

Overview

Pelvic health challenges in children are common, but families lack resources for solutions. However, rehabilitation professionals may not feel confident to address paediatric pelvic health needs, and lack relevant tools to address them in the context of the clinical setting. Skills and thought processes for adult care may not be appropriate or effective with children; standard direct pelvic floor, behavioral, and environmental interventions often fail to meet the complex needs of neurodiverse (and many neurotypical) kids.

A new model of paediatric pelvic health is needed.

This course introduces the rehab professional to a dynamic systems framework for assessment and intervention for paediatric pelvic health challenges that is sensitive to families and children managing developmental, emotional, sensory, and motor differences. This whole-child perspective harnesses the interconnection of postural control, neuromuscular, movement, and pressure systems to support continence and bowel regularity in children. In addition, emerging information regarding the interconnections between the neural networks involved in gross motor, visual-motor, sensory processing, and balance will be discussed.

These systems underpin continence control in both neurotypical and neurodiverse populations supporting a global approach.

Participants will gain an understanding of paediatric pelvic health needs as a component of the full clinical presentation. Trauma-sensitive clinical strategies and reasoning will be offered to complement the participants existing skill set. This course is designed for clinicians who are new to paediatric pelvic health, providing foundational knowledge and skills to support pelvic health for both neurodiverse and neurotypical children.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. Discuss neuromotor, sensory, and emotional challenges associated with pelvic health needs common to both neurotypical and neurodiverse populations.
   
   
2. Articulate gross motor, visual processing, sensory, and balance differences that underpin continence control in children.
   
   
3. Develop communication tools to initiate conversations with families on pelvic health needs.

Audience

This course is designed for both experienced and newer clinicians who are new to paediatric pelvic health, providing foundational knowledge appropriate for the pediatric setting