LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A unique one-day educational program for patients with cerebral palsy and their families and caretakers will be presented March 17 at the UCLA/Orthopaedic Institute for Children’s Center for Cerebral Palsy in Los Angeles. Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability in the United States, affecting more than 760,000 children and adults nationally.
Presenting at the forum will be members of the UCLA/OIC Center for Cerebral Palsy team, including Director William Oppenheim, M.D., and Associate Director Rachel Thompson, M.D. Other speakers will include additional faculty from the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Tarjan Center at UCLA. Patients, parents and other stakeholders will participate in the program as well.
The March 17 family forum is designed to encourage an exchange of ideas and questions between professionals and families. At the forum attendees will hear about recent advances in cerebral palsy research as well as treatment options available. Speakers will also discuss the center’s work with institutions across the country to improve the quality of healthcare provided to women with cerebral palsy. There will also be a presentation on how socially successful children interact with their peers and how parents can help their children with cerebral palsy succeed at school.
Also included in the program will be a presentation by Ability Ballet, a therapeutic program for children with cerebral palsy centered around dance, as well as a demonstration of the center’s innovative project with Microsoft that makes computer gaming accessible to children and adults afflicted with the disability.
The program is being conducted in partnership with the Children’s Cerebral Palsy Movement, Tarjan Center at UCLA, Shapiro Family Foundation and Jones-Kanaar Foundation. It will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the UCLA Faculty Center located at 480 Charles E Young Drive East in Los Angeles. The event is free, but registration is required at cpfamilyforum.org or by calling Marcia Greenberg at 310-825-5858.
The UCLA/OIC Center for Cerebral Palsy is the only interdisciplinary clinic in Southern California that evaluates and treats people with cerebral palsy throughout their lifespan. The center includes a comprehensive outpatient clinic and the Kameron Gait and Motion Analysis Laboratory (providing an in-depth understanding of a patient’s movement patterns). The center is also heavily involved in research in the field of cerebral palsy and in educating both consumers and professionals as to the most up-to-date assessment and treatment approaches for people with cerebral palsy.
About Orthopaedic Institute for Children
Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) was founded in 1911 as Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital. Focused solely on musculoskeletal conditions in children, OIC receives nearly 70,000 patient visits each year. In alliance with UCLA Health and with the support of the OIC Foundation, we advance pediatric orthopaedics worldwide through outstanding patient care, medical education and research. Our locations in downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Westwood and Calexico treat the full spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic disorders and injuries. For more information, visit us at ortho-institute.org.
