Who is best suited to undertake this course? 

Physical therapists, occupational therapists and medical doctors with experience treating patients with vestibular deficits.

What is the focus of this course? 

The course consists of lecture and laboratory sessions with additional self-study sessions. 

All participants will be expected to demonstrate a variety of skills to the faculty including: 

• the oculomotor examination with emphasis on the identification of nystagmus and canal involvement 

• balance, gait, fall risk and functional assessments 

• appropriate treatment procedures for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo affecting posterior, anterior and horizontal canals for both cupulolithiasis and canalithiasis 

• treatment procedures for unilateral and bilateral peripheral vestibular disorders 

• treatment procedures for central vestibular disorders including traumatic brain injury and stroke, migraine and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness. 

Why is this course so necessary? 

Vestibular disorders represent one of the most common causes for falls but they remain underdiagnosed and commonly mismanaged. 

Vestibular disorders cause a significant financial and personal burden and lead to decreased quality of life compared to healthy individuals. 

How are participants evaluated on their practical skills during this course? 

Two certificates may be given in this course—one for attendance and one for achievement. 

The certificate of achievement signifies that, at the time the course was delivered, the student demonstrated proper performance of certain skills (based on practical exams) and understood basic information (measured through written and video exams) related to vestibular rehabilitation. 

However, receiving the certificate of achievement does not certify that the student will retain those skills and knowledge or apply them appropriately in the future. 

Is there a recommended time gap between completing ‘Vestibular rehabilitation’ and ‘Advances in vestibular rehabilitation’? 

We recommend ‘Advances in vestibular rehabilitation’ for those physical and occupational therapists who have passed ‘Vestibular rehabilitation’ or other similar continuing education courses. 

There is no required time gap between taking the two courses; however, it is recommended that the participant have several years of clinical practice treating individuals with vestibular disorders before taking the advanced course. 

In addition, it is required that participants have experience treating people with vestibular deficits and have completed a previous vestibular course prior to taking the basic course. 

‘Vestibular rehabilitation: a competency-based course’ will run 24–30 June in Fremantle, Western Australia; ‘Advances in vestibular rehabilitation: a competency-based renewal course’ will run 30 June – 2 July, also in Fremantle, Western Australia. Visit australian.physio/pd/pd-product?id=11122 and australian. physio/pd/pd-product?id=10870 to find out more and to register. 

>>Dr Richard Clendaniel is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association and a physiotherapist in Duke University School of Medicine’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Division and in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences. Richard lectures nationally and internationally on vestibular disorders and coedits a major textbook on their management. He also serves on the medical advisory board for the Vestibular Disorders Association and is the current president of the American Balance Society. 

>>Dr Michael C Schubert is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association and a physiotherapist and professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery with a joint appointment in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins University. Michael’s clinical focus is treating gaze and gait instability in people with loss of vestibular sensation. His current research investigates differences in motor learning within the vestibulo-ocular reflex. He has authored or co-authored over 160 articles.