Behavior therapy in a gait-training program for a child with myelomeningocele. A case report.
A behavior therapy program consisting of positive reinforcement contingent upon walking with braces and crutches was conducted with a four and one-half-year-old child with myelomeningocele. Behavioral physical therapy was begun first in the clinic setting and then in the home. Follow-up clinic assessments document maintenance of functionally independent ambulation over a seven-month period. The results support the efficacy of using behavioral techniques in a physical therapy program for a child with myelomeningocele. The need for further research and development of physical therapy programs using behavioral techniques is briefly discussed.
D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009043:Motor Activity; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods