Initial Assessment

Following the telephone consultation the CIMT therapist will determine if your child is suitable for CIMT and suggest that you book an initial assessment. The assessment is carried out at one of our clinic locations [link to locations page] by a specialist CIMT therapist and normally takes approximately 90 minutes.

During the assessment your therapist will:

• Ask you about your child’s condition and developmental history
• Conduct a structured questionnaire to determine how often and how well your child is able to use their affected arm. This questionnaire gives a score, which will be used as a baseline for treatment.
• Discuss with you what individual goals you have for your child and whether they would be achievable with CIMT.
• Observe your child at play without intervention to see how they use their arm normally.
• Carry out a physical assessment of the affected arm, looking at range of movement, muscle strength, spasticity, coordination and dexterity.
• Determine how well your child can engage with therapists and tolerates handling of their affected arm and hand.
• Discuss with you what length of programme would be most suitable for your child.
• Answer any further questions you may have about the programme and expected outcomes for your child.

Following the assessment your CIMT therapist will write a short report detailing the findings of their assessment and their recommendations for a CIMT programme.

If the therapist feels a CIMT programme is not suitable, they will fully explain this to you and include it in the report alongside recommendations for alternative treatments. We will always aim to determine suitability through the telephone consultation first to avoid any unnecessary assessments.

Once you have received the report you will be able to discuss dates for a programme and arrange the booking. Our team will help to provide information on the logistics of attending the programme if you are travelling far to work with us, and if you had any further questions prior to booking a programme then our therapists would be happy to help.