Course Description:

Postural control is necessary to support functional activity and participation. Many
children achieve steady state balance and can generate compensatory/reactive postural
adjustments, but they may not develop anticipatory postural control. The research
indicates the ability to organize anticipatory/feedforward postural control in sitting and
standing is a precursor to independent walking. Therefore, understanding anticipatory
postural control is critically importance for treatment planning and the developmental of
intervention strategies to enhance functional activity and participation. This course will
provide a review of steady state balance, compensatory and anticipatory postural
control and discuss the role of the individual, the task, and the environment in the
development of postural control.
Contemporary research evidence supporting the significance of anticipatory postural
control to maintain independent sitting, standing and walking will presented and
discussed. Equally important, research describing how internal and external factors can
enhance or degrade anticipatory postural control will be examined. To translate the
research evidence into clinical practice, clinical cases, videos, participant labs and goal
directed activities will offer an opportunity for participants to develop and practice
intervention strategies that can be incorporated into their treatment sessions when they
return to the clinic.
Course Objectives:
At the end of this course, participants will be able to
1. Defne the concepts of steady state balance, compensatory and anticipatory postural
control.
2. Describe the research evidence supporting the organization of compensatory
anticipatory postural control in children and adults.
3. Explain the internal and external parameters that may serve to enhance or degrade
postural control in children.
4. Apply the evidence to develop and practice intervention strategies to support the
development of postural control in children.