Prognosis, Intervention, and Outcomes
What the exam expects
You must plan interventions grounded in evidence and tied to measurable outcomes. Know the principles of motor learning (practice, feedback, transfer), neuroplasticity (activity-dependent, task-specific, early and intensive), and family-centered care. Understand dosing: frequency, intensity, and duration, and how to progress or regress an activity.
Intervention approaches
Know common pediatric approaches-task-specific training, constraint-induced movement therapy, gait training and orthoses, serial casting, positioning and handling, and play-based intervention. Be able to select an appropriate intervention for a given goal and justify it with evidence. Understand orthotic and equipment decision-making (AFOs, standers, seating) and the role of strengthening in cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.
Outcomes
Select outcome measures that reflect the goal (GMFM for gross motor, PEDI for function/participation). Reassess on a schedule and adjust the plan. Distinguish short-term goals from long-term goals and make them SMART.
Traps
Questions test whether you confuse an impairment-level intervention with a function-level goal, or whether you over-treat a child who is progressing typically. Another trap: choosing an intervention with weak evidence because it sounds intuitive. Watch for goals that are not measurable.
Rule of thumb: Every intervention should map to a goal, and every goal should map to a measurable outcome.
Worked example: A child with hemiplegic CP has a goal to use the affected hand during meals. CIMT or bimanual training with a measurable mealtime participation outcome is appropriate; passive stretching alone would not address the goal.