Grant recipient: Dr Rachel Toovey

Project title: Bicycle-riding for children with cerebral palsy

Year awarded: 2016

Grant: Seeding Grant

Grant amount: $10,000

Snapshot: Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood physical disability in Australia. Researchers set out to determine whether a task-specific, physiotherapist-led training approach is more effective than a non-specific, parent-led home program for attaining bicycle-riding goals in ambulant children with cerebral palsy. A randomised controlled trial was conducted. 

The findings: Children in the task-specific training group had greater odds of goal attainment than those in the parent-led home program at one week after intervention, with evidence for superiority retained at three months.

Benefits to the profession: An evidence-based approach that includes dosage and task-specific progression now exists for clinicians working with children with cerebral palsy who have bicycle-riding goals.

Read about the findings of Rachel's study in InMotion and view the PRF-funded research translation.