Who should attend
Physiotherapists who have recently graduated or those taking on a paediatric caseload after a period away from this area of practice.
For international physiotherapists, please note that this course is not available to non- physiotherapists.
While we welcome the participation of qualified international physiotherapists, please be mindful of the following points before you register:
- For all Monash University physiotherapy courses, including short courses, you must meet the minimum English language requirements which is the equivalent to International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 7.0 (no band lower than 6.5).
- The courses have been developed for the Australian context and may or may not be relevant to international settings.
What you will learn
At the completion of this course, it is expected the participant will be able to:
- Summarise normal development across the spectrum of childhood, within the context of normal variations.
- Identify paediatric conditions which are appropriate for physiotherapy intervention.
- Structure a comprehensive paediatric physiotherapy assessment for children presenting with musculoskeletal, developmental or neurological conditions and identify appropriate assessment tools.
- Conduct prioritised systematic assessments for different paediatric conditions across the spectrum of childhood and adolescence and determine the child’s main problems based on the assessment findings.
- Identify and communicate the important findings of paediatric physiotherapy assessment that warrant further assessment and / or intervention and / or referral to other practitioners, especially ‘red flags’.
- Describe the process of setting smart goals for a child in conjunction with their family.
- Critique and synthesise the appropriate evidenced based or best practise interventions for specific paediatric conditions.
- Explain the principles of sensitive and appropriate communication when working with children and carers, whilst recognising limits to own practice/knowledge.
Program structure
An Australian entry to practice degree in physiotherapy or equivalent for international students. Each online paediatric short course contributes to an estimated 40 hours of professional development.
* This course is a pre-requisite for the following Paediatric Physiotherapy short courses:
- PDM1054 Advancing Skills in Paediatric Physiotherapy - Chronic and Complex Conditions
- PDM1055 Advancing Skills in Paediatric Physiotherapy - Neonates and infants
- PDM1056 Advancing skills in Paediatric Physiotherapy - Cerebral Palsy
Course structure
This course consists of asynchronous online learning over four weeks, with a live interactive online learning day following completion of the initial four weeks of the program. Assessment tasks are time-sensitive to ensure the work is evenly paced throughout the course. Course content will be available during O-Week, and students will be required to log in and complete preparation tasks the week prior to commencement. This course runs for four consecutive weeks unless the dates run over a Monash University mid semester break.
