KIND: Cerebral Palsy

Time limit: 365 days

The KIND Cerebral Palsy (CP) course provides a comprehensive exploration of CP, beginning with its definition, epidemiology, and early risk factors. Building from foundational knowledge, the curriculum moves into early identification, hip screening and surveillance, and the multifaceted process of evaluation. Clinical topics cover spasticity, dyskinesia, growth monitoring, neuroimaging, genetic considerations, and associated conditions such as epilepsy, pain, and oral health.

Advanced levels focus on management strategies, including oral medications, injections, intrathecal baclofen therapy, selective dorsal rhizotomy, and deep brain stimulation. Learners also gain insight into therapy-based interventions, lifespan care, and transitional planning, ensuring a full spectrum of knowledge for professionals working with individuals across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

The CP course spans more than 20 topics across five levels of instruction. Levels 1 and 2 provide foundational knowledge beneficial for allied professionals and medical professionals, including educators, social workers, therapists, and psychologists.

Levels 3 to 5 shift to a more clinical focus, offering advanced insights geared toward medical doctors and sub-specialists.

Course Editor

Heather Riordan, MD is a pediatric neurologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Associate Professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She specializes in the care of children with cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Riordan has extensive experience in diagnosis, management, and long-term care planning for children with CP, with research and clinical interests that include spasticity management and the transition of care into adulthood.

Content, Featured Experts, and Learner Groups

Cerebral Palsy Chapter: Levels and Learner Groups
Level	Neurodevelopmental Topic Content	Featured Expert	Learner Group(s)
Level 1	1.1 Defining Cerebral Palsy	Heather Riordan, MD.	Allied professionals Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	1.2 Epidemiology of Cerebral Palsy	Senaya Shenoy, MSPH.
	1.3 Pathophysiology of IVH and PVL	April Sharp, MD.
Level 2	2.1 Early Identification of CP	Vera Joanna Burton, MD, PhD.	Allied professionals Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
Level 2	2.2 Hip Screening and Surveillance	Emily Hillaker, DO.
Level 3	3.1 Cerebral Palsy Evaluation: Art and Science	Alec Hoon, MD, MPH.	Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	3.2 Hip Screening	Emily Hillaker, DO.
	3.3 Examining Spasticity and Dyskinesia	Vincent Shieh, MD.
	3.4 Monitoring Growth in CP	Patricia Miller, MS, RD, CSP, LDN, FAND.
	3.5 Neuroimaging in CP	Paul Salib, MPH.
	3.6 Genetic Causes in CP	Alexis Heidlebaugh, ScM, CGC.
	3.7 Neuropsychological Conditions in CP	Gwendolyn Gerner, PsyD.
	3.8 Pain in CP	Eric Chin, MD.
	3.9 Neuropsychiatry in CP	Aaron J. Hauptman, MD.
	3.10 Osteopenia in Children with Cerebral Palsy	Cristina L Sadowsky, MD.
	3.11 Oral Health in CP	Erica Caffrey, DDS.
	3.12 Epilepsy in CP	Siddharth Gupta, M.B.B.S.
Level 4	4.1 Managing Dyskinetic CP	Shannon Dean, MD PhD.	Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	4.2 Oral Medications and Injections for Spasticity Management	Marisa Flavin, MD.
	4.3 Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) Therapy use in Cerebral Palsy	Stephen A. Nichols, MD.
	4.4 Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy	Shenandoah Robinson, MD, FAANS, FAAP.
	4.5 Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy in Cerebral Palsy Patients	Lauryn Currens, MD.
	4.6 Effective Therapy Options for Managing Cerebral Palsy	Ariel Jones, MS, OTR/L. Karen Good, PT, OCS, PCS.
Level 5	5.1 Lifespan Care in CP	Heather Riordan, MD.	Medical Professionals Sub-Specialist Professionals
	5.2 Transitional Care in CP	Jessica De Curtis Fernandez, MD.
	5.3 CP in the School Environment	Brooke Kimbrell, MD MSE.

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Full course description

Content, Featured Experts, and Learner Groups

What is the KIND Curriculum?