FAQ

Please go to the ‘Contact Us’ page and request a brochure using the email facility,. or give us a call.

First, if a parent, talk to your child’s physiotherapist – they may have heard of Targeted Training and be able to give advice. We are very happy to talk to physiotherapists directly and discuss individual children. Talk as well to your child’s Consultant, either paediatrician or orthopaedic surgeon. Referral is by letter from your child’s Consultant or from your GP. This helps to ensure that everyone involved with the child is aware of the referral and all aspects of your child’s programme are fully integrated.

Most of the children who have received Targeted Training have shown spasticity (hypertonia) or have been very floppy (hypotonia) and it is a very effective treatment strategy with both of these types of children. However, Targeted Training is not quite as effective for children with athetosis, especially if this is ‘pure’ athetosis without spasticity, although some children have shown limited benefit. The Movement Centre is cautious about accepting a referral for a child who has frequent fits or seizures (more than one each day) that are not controlled by medication. In this situation Targeted Training, in common with any other therapy approach, will not be as effective; we feel that it is unreasonable to ask families to agree to the commitment and travel in this situation. There are a few other situations where Targeted Training is less effective, such as fixed bony deformity – and in these situations it is best to ask your child’s physiotherapist to talk to The Movement Centre. Many of the children who have benefited from Targeted Training have a learning disability although in a few situations the child may need to actively co-operate.

We see each child for an assessment regardless of funding. You will be contacted by our physiotherapist team to arrange an appointment. We then send out a questionnaire which we ask you to fill in and send back to us prior to the appointment. Wherever possible a funding application is then made to your local Primary Care Trust, usually by The Movement Centre.
The appointment for an initial assessment is usually 3 weeks ahead – whichever funding route applies. The initial assessment takes usually half a day and it is very helpful if your child’s physiotherapist can come as well. We will assess each child's potential to benefit from Targeted Training, the therapy and commitment needed from you will be fully explained. You will be encouraged to think about it and discuss it with all those involved and then get back to us.

A course of Targeted Training usually lasts nine months. One or more functional goals such as head control, sitting balance, standing or walking are identified and agreed with all concerned. The equipment is set up at a separate appointment and is taken home for use at home or school as appropriate, usually on five or six days a week for around half an hour. There may be other exercises recommended or a stretching programme but these are not too time consuming. Reviews, at The Movement Centre, take place every eight weeks – and the special equipment needs to come back at each review so that it can be adjusted as your child improves.

Most other types of therapy mix well with Targeted Training and help to provide an overall therapy input. However, it is important that the child is not over-taxed and it may be preferable to cut back on other therapy. Your child’s physiotherapist plays an important role in monitoring and in ensuring an overall integrated therapy plan. They remain the key therapy input for the child. However, there are one or two therapy strategies that don’t mix well with Targeted Training especially those where the child is trying to control too many joints at once. In that case, you will be requested to stop the other therapy while Targeted Training is ongoing.

No – the real limit is on whether we can fit the child into the equipment. Children have been referred as young as six months old and started Targeted Training at around one year old. Most children are referred at around four or five years old but we can be of help to older child as well.

Our success to date has been very good and you will find evidence of our results elsewhere in this website. We are continuing all the time to accumulate evidence of effectiveness. You may also like to take a look at some summary Case Studies, and to see some of our Client Feedback, which will show the results that we achieve.

You will be aware that we do not treat the underlying cause of movement problems, which in many cases cannot be cured. What we can do, and do regularly, is enable greatly improved mobility, thus improving quality of life for the child (and for their carers).

We are currently seeing children for an assessment around 3 weeks after the initial referral letter.

A typical course of treatment, including an initial assessment, and also including the use of The Movement Centre equipment such as standing frames, costs £4,850. As the child develops improved control, the equipment is changed during the course of treatment to suit their changing needs. Therefore equipment is provided from TMC stock, and returned when no longer suitable as the child develops.

Other costs may result from the need for the child and parents/carers to return to the Centre periodically for reassessment, equipment adjustment or replacement, and recording of progress. Therefore, travel and perhaps overnight stays in the area may be required.

The Movement Centre is a charity and although not part of the NHS we can apply to your PCT for funding.

There are three ways of funding a course of Targeted Training:

NHS funding: The Movement Centre can apply to the NHS (via your local Primary Care Trust) for funding.

Private funding: You can fund the course of treatment yourself.

By application to The Movement Foundation: If you cannot obtain NHS funding or self fund, then you can apply to The Movement Foundation for charity funding. In the first instance you should contact the Centre and discuss your situation. We believe that lack of funds should not be a barrier to treatment, though the Foundation naturally has limited resources.