Pushing Pediatrics

Today is the final episode of the 5th season of the Pushing Pediatrics podcast! Sheila and Sara are welcoming guests Jessica Lewis, PT, DPT, PCS and Helen Carey, PT, DHSc, PCS, creators of the PCS Advantage, to help those of you in the home stretch of studying for the PCS exam. PCS Advantage is a prep course and study tool for those clinicians studying for the PCS exam, providing full practice exams and comprehensive study guides. Through the work of Jessica and Helen and the creation of PCS Advantage, they have helped hundreds of clinicians pass their exam! Sheila and Sara ask Jessica and Helen some critical questions you’ll want to hear the answers to if you’re taking the PCS in a few weeks! Topics like where to focus your studies in these last weeks, things TO do and things NOT to do as the exam date approaches, and several critical exam taking strategies. Good luck to those of you taking your PCS exam, and regardless of the outcome, you are an amazing PT. We will be back next season with more great episodes. And remember, you’ve got this! PCS Advantage: PCS Prep CourseResources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Another incredible guest is on the Pushing Pediatrics Podcast this week! Dylan Gawinski Stern, PT, DPT, PCS joins the show to discuss pain, most specifically AMPS (Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome). Persistent pain is a new “hot topic” that is testable material since hosts Sheila and Sara took their PCS exam, which is why they’ve invited an expert to review this topic. Dylan will share her experience working in the AMPS clinic, how to differentiate AMPS from CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) as a provider, what the therapy evaluation process looks like for AMPS clinic patients, how to incorporate Trauma Informed Care, and more. This topic will be broken into two, digestible episodes, so be sure to tune in next week for the other half of our discussion on pain. Dougherty BL, Zelikovsky N, Miller KS, Rodriguez D, Armstrong SL, Sherry DD. Longitudinal Impact of Parental Catastrophizing on Child Functional Disability in Pediatric Amplified Pain. J Pediatr Psychol. 2021 Apr 16;46(4):474-484. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa127. PMID: 33491076; PMCID: PMC8056213.Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

SAFETY LISTENER NOTE:This presentation will discuss aspects of trauma, its impact on children, families and practitioners. We acknowledge that the content in this discussion may trigger your previous experiences with trauma or the trauma that your patients have experienced. We encourage you to perform self-care practices even within this podcast; if you need to take a break and pause, please do so as you need.Sheila and Sara are pleased to be welcoming back Katelyn McNamara-Kays PT, DPT, PCS and Bridget Griffin, PT, DPT, PCS, to discuss Trauma Informed Care. Kate and Bridget were on the show last season sharing their knowledge about TIC. If you haven’t listened to those episodes, they are linked down below - be sure to go and give those a listen. Today Kate and Bridget will be taking us on a deeper dive into Trauma Informed Care and also introduce their newest fact sheet releasing soon! This conversation is loaded with practical ways to incorporate TIC into your daily practice as well as how to translate this concept into PCS exam taking strategies. Be sure to tune in next week for part 2!Season 4: Trauma Informed CareSeason 4: Trauma Informed Care Part 2 Join the APTA Mighty Networks!Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Welcome back for part 2 of our discussion with Mike Studer where we will be diving even further into the concepts of learning and neuroplasticity and how it applies to our pediatric patients and the PCS exam. Specifically, today, we discuss motivators and the difference between infinite games and other types of play. Mike also shares his list of other readings he considered while writing his new book and would recommend for those looking to take their learning on these concepts a step further! These episodes are full of so many “PT pearls” that will apply clinically and personally, you will not want to miss any of this content! Don’t forget to come back next week for the final episode of our trilogy with Mike. “The Brain That Chooses Itself” by Mike Studer"Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman“The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear“Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth Katy Milkman’s book, “How to Change: The Science of Getting Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” and her podcast, Choiceology“Nudge” by Richard ThalerOther authors mentioned in today's episode: Jane McGonigal, Ellen Langer, Alia Crum and more listed in Mike Studer’s book Wulf G, Lewthwaite R. Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning. Psychon Bull Rev. 2016;23(5):1382-1414. doi:10.3758/s13423-015-0999-9Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Welcome back to Pushing Pediatrics! We have another guest episode this week to bring you knowledge on a topic that has been widely gaining popularity and is now testable material, pediatric pelvic floor. Maggie Abbott, PT, DPT will join us to discuss why PT can make a big difference for children with bladder and bowel dysfunction. We’ll cover age and diagnoses Maggie typically treats, what her initial evaluation includes, interventions of pelvic floor therapy, and more. We will highlight how this subject translates to PCS prep with our “PT pearls” and walk through exam taking techniques. Remember, you’ve got this! Calvo-Sanz, J., Bouallalene Jaramillo, K., et al. (2025). Electrotherapy in pediatric patients with non-neurological pelvic-floor dysfunction: TENS, biofeedback, and behavioural therapies applied individually or in combination. Journal of Pediatric Urology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpurol.2025.03.158Wegh, C. A. M., Baaleman, D. F., Tabbers, M. M., Smidt, H., & Benninga, M. A. (2022). Non-pharmacologic treatment for children with functional constipation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pediatrics, 240, 136-149.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.09.010Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Welcome back to part two of our discussion with CCC-SLPs Marissa Peters and Maggie Muzio about Augmentative and Alternative Communication. As we continue our conversation, Marissa and Maggie go into detail on AAC devices and how PT can play a role in helping children utilize these devices during treatment sessions. We’ll hear what makes for a good co-treat session from an SLP’s point of view and why treating the child as a whole in every session is a key to their success. More “PT Pearls” will be shared along the way plus a bonus exam practice question! The episode closes with main takeaways to apply to your PCS exam preparations. Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

We are honored to be hosting two of the authors, Carol de Campos and Ginny Paleg, of the 2023 article titled “F-words and early intervention ingredients for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy: a scoping review” on today’s episode. This article is not only exam relevant for those preparing for the PCS exam, it is also a clinically impactful article. This review gives great insight into how we can competently care for GMFCS IV and V children with the 6 F’s in mind - functioning, fitness, family, fun, friends, and future. Carol and Ginny will elaborate how the F-words of this article translate into PCS prep and exam taking strategies, and also how this article is a roadmap for all PTs to provide thoughtful, evidence-informed decisions for one of the most underserved populations. De Campos AC, Hidalgo-Robles Á, Longo E, Shrader C, Paleg G. F-words and early intervention ingredients for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy: A scoping review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2024 Jan;66(1):41-51. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15682. Epub 2023 Jun 28. PMID: 37381598.Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

We know that research and statistics may seem intimidating sometimes, which is why we are tackling this topic together! Understanding statistics is not only important for your board exam prep, but for your clinical practice too. Knowing how to interpret these concepts makes a huge difference when reading studies and applying evidence-based practices. Today we will cover statistical significance, sample size, p-value, and more. Thanks for joining us today, and remember, you’ve got this!Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

If you listened to last week’s episode, we talked about our grouping strategy for genetic syndromes that you’ll need to know for the PCS exam. We had many of our listeners ask for a more in depth review too, so today’s episode will be a deep dive into the 2023 article about 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. We’ll be reviewing things to know for each system and bring all that knowledge together to discuss how you could see questions about this syndrome on the PCS exam and where it fits into our genetic syndrome grouping method. Óskarsdóttir, S., Boot, E., Crowley, T. B., Loo, J. C. Y., Arganbright, J. M., Armando, M., Baylis, A. L., Breetvelt, E. J., Castelein, R. M., Chadehumbe, M., Cielo, C. M., de Reuver, S., Eliez, S., Fiksinski, A. M., Forbes, B. J., Gallagher, E., Hopkins, S. E., Jackson, O. A., Levitz-Katz, L., Klingberg, G., … McDonald-McGinn, D. M. (2023). Updated clinical practice recommendations for managing children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 25(3), 100338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2022.11.006Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our websiteUse code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodesFollow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Welcome back to Pushing Pediatrics - your favorite study supplementation for the PCS exam! We have had 4 successful seasons thanks to you all, our listeners! And a special thank you to those of you who subscribe to our Friday episodes. We are so excited to be bringing you Season 5 of the Pushing Pediatrics Podcast and plan to make it our best season yet.Today we are going to dive into the DSP, the Description of Specialty Practice in Pediatric Physical Therapy and how to utilize it as the anchor to your PCS test prep. We’ll be covering tips and strategies on how to be thinking of different aspects of the DSP while studying, a little about what test questions may be like on the PCS exam, and how to integrate your previous clinical knowledge with info from the DSP to think like a pediatric specialist. Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website.Use code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes on Fridays.Follow us on Instagram.This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

This week Sheila and Sara will be going over the equipment available and used for our pediatric patients. This episode will be more general, covering the main types of equipment detailed in Campbell. However, if you are looking for a deep dive, please review the chapter on Assistive Technology in Campbell’s 6th edition. We also have episodes in previous seasons covering the Assistive Technology chapter as well as the information in Campbell’s 5th edition. We bring you this episode knowing some of you have a large experience with equipment and some of you have none. Hopefully this episode will help you along your studying journey! You got this! Glickman LB, Geigle PR, Paleg GS. A systematic review of supported standing programs. J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2010;3(3):197-213. doi: 10.3233/PRM-2010-0129. PMID: 21791851. Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website Use code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes Follow us on InstagramThis episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

We have another article review to bring to you on today’s episode! As there is yet to be a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for this patient population, this article gives a great insight into how current PTs manage children with down syndrome, what assessment tools they utilize, and interventions they prioritize. Sheila and Sara will explore the contents of this paper and discuss the implications for clinical practice as well as board exam preparation. “Johnson R, Looper J, Fiss A. Current Trends in Pediatric Physical Therapy Practice for Children With Down Syndrome. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2021;33(2):74-81. doi:10.1097/PEP.0000000000000781” Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website Use code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes Follow us on Instagram This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.

Sheila and Sara are back from holiday break with a new episode! Today we will be breaking down the different classifications of Myelomeningocele from the article listed below in the show notes and discussing why it is so relevant for Pediatric PTs. Don’t forget to join us for our subscription only episode on Friday to test your knowledge from this episode! “Rojas AM, Karakostas T. Myelomeningocele: a new functional classification. J Child ­ Orthop 2021;15:1-5. DOI: 10.1302/1863-2548.15.200248” Resources discussed in today’s episode can be found on our website Use code PUSHINGPEDS for $150 off your Medbridge subscription! Check out our website, and subscribe for our subscription only episodes Follow us on Instagram This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.