ADVOCACY The federal government’s Thriving Kids reforms reduce barriers to access but delivery will depend on how early intervention is designed and funded, writes the APA Policy and Government Relations team.

In a session about improving communication and therapeutic interactions with children and families, the lived experience of a young adult who has had chronic pain since childhood was at the forefront.

RESEARCH FOCUS Cuevas Medek Exercises are an increasingly popular paediatric therapy for children with disability but a recent review has shown that little evidence exists to support their use.

From the wrestling mat to the treatment room, Kris Grzywniak’s path into physiotherapy has been anything but conventional. A former Polish national team wrestler and coach, now working in private practice, Kris brings a rare blend of lived athletic insight, coaching skills and clinical reasoning to every patient.

Cynthia Lo, Alexandra Walton, Emma Fletcher, Jessica Wilkes and Tanmayi Patgaonkar present five discussion points about child-specific musculoskeletal disorders and when intervention is warranted.

The National Transport Commission is reviewing road rules surrounding child restraint requirements, which could have implications for physiotherapy scope of practice.

Andrew McKenzie, principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, discusses the legal and ethical obligations for physiotherapists who work with children, including recent changes to the National Quality Framework.

PAEDIATRIC Dr Kristy Nicola is a paediatric physiotherapist, clinician, researcher, academic and service leader who has built a career helping children defy expectations, from non-verbal students in specialist schools to families in community clinics. Here she talks about what drives her work, her longstanding commitment to the APA and her leadership in shaping paediatric physiotherapy practice nationally and internationally.

Alicia Spittle has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Yvonne Burns Award, recognising her leadership, research impact and lifelong commitment to the wellbeing of preterm infants and children with neurodevelopmental challenges.