A home-treatment program for the cerebral-palsied child.

The process and results of a two-month intensive home-treatment program for a two-year-old athetoid cerebral-palsied boy are described in this article. The exploratory program was designed to develop methods and procedures for the mother to use to promote the child's normal postural tone and movement during daily handling and care. The foundation for the intervention program was based on a collation of the child's history, a one-day assessment of the child's activities and time schedule in the home, and a physical evaluation. Postevaluation identified changes in the child's feeding, playing, and sleep patterns that suggested more normal movement and muscle tone. Also, the mother established new physical handling patterns and the therapist gained skill and a new awareness in home intervention programs.