Unit rationale, description and aim
As a physiotherapist working with children you need to be able identify clinical problems that are pertinent to paediatric conditions and develop, implement, evaluate and progress an intervention program which is efficient, effective, culturally responsive, evidence-based and family-centred. In this unit you will build on the knowledge acquired, and clinical reasoning skills developed in earlier units of study. You will gain new knowledge regarding paediatric conditions resulting from musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and nervous system dysfunction. In addition, you will examine some of the legal requirements of working with children and their families, the features of implementing a family-centred approach and will consider the role of physiotherapy within the health-care team. The overall aim for the unit is to prepare students for professional practice in the area of paediatric physiotherapy.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Analyse the impact of the developing cardiorespira...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically analyse and justify evidence-informed p...
Learning Outcome 02
Describe and discuss the relevance of the legal re...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
Child development:
- Emergence and development of movement from birth to adolescence
- Analysis of motor skills in children
- Impact of growth and development on the child’s competency to participate in activities at an age appropriate level
Cardiorespiratory issues:
- Disorders related to prematurity
- Disorders of childhood and adolescence
- Effect of degenerative disorders on the cardiorespiratory system
- Rehabilitation of the cardiorespiratory compromised child
- Assessment, management and evaluation of interventions for cardiorespiratory conditions
Musculoskeletal issues:
- Acute and chronic anomalies related to growth and development in infancy, childhood and adolescence
- Assessment, management and evaluation of interventions for musculoskeletal conditions
Neurological issues:
- Infants and children at risk of developmental delay
- Mild motor impairment as a discrete disorder in childhood and in association with other developmental disorders of childhood
- Upper motor neuron lesions
- Lower motor neuron lesions
- Assessment, management and evaluation of interventions for neurological conditions
Distinctive topics:
- Promotion of healthy lifestyle in children including sports, physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and childhood obesity
- Emerging areas of paediatric physiotherapy practice
- Exercise in children with chronic disease
- Legal requirements of working with children and their families
- Communication strategies in paediatric physiotherapy practice Features of implementing a child and family-centred approach to physiotherapy intervention
- Role of physiotherapy within the health-care team
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks align with the presentation of the content in this unit of study. This unit takes an authentic assessment approach allowing students to demonstrate their learning and competency for clinically relevant scenarios. As a final academic semester unit of study prior to commencing clinical placements student are required to demonstrate acquisition, understanding and application of knowledge in both written and verbal forms.
Overview of assessments
Assignment: Requires students to locate, assimil...
Assignment:
Requires students to locate, assimilate and synthesise information to demonstrate clinical reasoning relevant to a paediatric case scenario.
25%
Assignment: Requires students to locate, assimil...
Assignment:
Requires students to locate, assimilate and synthesise information to demonstrate clinical reasoning relevant to a paediatric case scenario.
25%
End-semester viva examination: Requires students...
End-semester viva examination:
Requires students to demonstrate competency in clinical reasoning through the ability to plan and justify appropriate assessment and treatment techniques for paediatric case scenarios.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of learning with a combination of face-to-face, online and other directed independent learning activities. The theoretical knowledge underpinning assessment and intervention will be delivered via lectures and online modules. Tutorial and practical classes provide students with the opportunity to develop their clinical reasoning skills through the use of case studies and, communication, assessment and treatment skills through simulation learning activities. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities, demonstrating respect for the individual as an independent learner.