We are committed to understanding mechanisms and developing evidence-based treatments for cerebral palsy and spinal muscular atrophy. Who we are
The Center for Cerebral Palsy Research is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 at Teachers College, Columbia University, a leading institution of Education, Health and Psychology. Our Center is committed to improving the lives of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and other individuals with brain injuries through research and education. Emphasis has been placed on understanding the mechanisms underlying motor and speech disorders associated with cerebral palsy, and developing evidence-based treatment approaches targeting these disorders. The center is led by Dr. Andrew Gordon, who has more than 20 years of research experience in children with CP, and consists of a unique team of physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers and psychologists, neuroscientists, a pediatric neurologist, and many volunteers and collaborators from throughout the world. Based on knowledge gained about impaired hand function in children with CP, we developed and began studying the efficacy of intensive rehabilitation techniques in 1997, and over 300 children have participated in our free day-camp programs since 2002. Our program differs from most other CP treatment programs in that we do not simply take existing therapies (PT, OT, SLP) and apply them more intensively. Rather we have built our treatment models from the ground up using theoretically defensible ingredients gleaned from the basic neurosciences, child development and motor learning disciplines. We are committed to evidence-based models of medicine, and we are constantly revising and improving our treatments and testing their efficacy. Participating in our projects not only may help your child, but will also help aid our understanding of the optimal ingredients and dosage of successful rehabilitation with the hope that this information will improve rehabilitation services for all children with cerebral palsy. What we do
We know that efficacy depends on how we engage children rather than how the unaffected hand is restricted. Thus all our activities are conducted in the most child-friendly means possible, and we incorporate the latest technologies (e.g., video-gaming). For example, treatments for children age 6 years and up are often conducted in fun day-camp environments during school recess, while still having each child receive individualized attention by assigning them their own individual interventionist. Some projects take place throughout the year, while others such as the day camp projects are generally held during school recess. Please see our website https://www.tc.columbia.edu/cit or contact us at [email protected] for more information or to have your child considered for participation in our programs.
