HeartSpace Blog
A thoughtful commentary on issues in Physical Therapy for children, adolescents and adults experiencing challenges with movement
March 21, 2025
It’s all about balance
This article on the assessment of balance in children with hearing loss discusses the use of assessment tools to determine the balance capabilities in this population. However, these assessment tools can be utilized with a variety of different clients. And sometimes it’s helpful to have them all in one place. So here they are! The
August 26, 2023
Movement research – ASD #9
This is the final post in this series on ASD. We’ve talked about rhythm with respect to other neurological movement difficulties for many years (think Parkinson’s disease or stroke). But this article by Hardy and LaGasse discusses how rhythm is proposed to activate motoneurons via reticulospinal pathways, thereby “priming” the motor system. They also noted
August 21, 2023
Movement research – ASD #8
So excited to read this 2023 article Early Indicators of Autism in Infants: Development of the IMES Screening Tool. The pilot study demonstrated validity and reliability of the Infant Motor and Engagement Scale (IMES) for early identification of Autism in infants 6-9 months. Early identification sets the stage for early intervention!
August 13, 2023
Movement research – ASD #7
A review article by Kindregan in 2015 delineated common gait characteristics in autistic children between the ages of 4 and 18 years: The last post discussed difficulties with transitional movement in autism. If we look at gait as a transitional movement, then it’s not surprising that we would see movement differences here as well.
August 8, 2023
Movement research – ASD #6
A 2021 study by Lavenne-Collot confirmed what we see in the clinic – children with ASD crawl on hands and knees 25% less than neurotypical children. Other observations noted were difficulty getting into sitting independently and independent walking. Interesting (but not surprising) is that all of these milestones are characterized as transitional movements rather than