The course will provide students with the knowledge, communication, clinical reasoning and practical skills to manage clients with a variety of neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. Students will learn to manage patients with neurological/neurodevelopmental conditions, through reablement and rehabilitation approaches informed by the latest research evidence base. An understanding of normal development and milestones across the lifespan will underpin learning in paediatric rehabilitation. Students will develop skills in assessment and observational analysis to identify activity limitations and impairments. Students will learn to use clinical reasoning, integration of client-goals and the principles of neural plasticity and motor learning in the planning and delivery of interventions.
Client scenarios will develop clinical reasoning skills underpinning safe, effective and holistic delivery of therapy. These will include case-based scenarios, group discussions, and in person assessments with clients who have a neurological condition. Students will develop the communication and practical skills needed to competently assess and safely and effectively treat clients with neurological disorders, understand the time course of recovery or neurodegeneration as well as develop strategies and programmes for client self-management. The continuum of care from the acute to community setting will be discussed and the physiotherapist’s role and responsibilities in the multidisciplinary health care team will be explored.