Watch the recording for “Supporting Comfort and Participation: An Introduction to 24-Hour Postural Care for Families” workshop here.

This workshop introduces families, caregivers, and providers to the core ideas of 24-Hour Postural Care, a gentle, family-centered approach to positioning children and young adults with motor impairments throughout the day and night. The goal of 24-Hour Postural Care is to support comfort, body alignment, rest, and participation during everyday activities, including sitting, lying, sleeping, and moving through daily routines.

24-Hour Postural Care is especially helpful for positioning individuals with diagnoses such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy or any condition that affects a person’s ability to move their body in space and maintain comfortable, supported positions.

This presentation will highlight:

• What 24-Hour Postural Care is, with a clear focus on positioning and why it matters
• A simplified 24-Hour Postural Care Pathway that helps teams identify positioning needs, assess posture and alignment, select supportive equipment, and support caregivers
• Case stories that demonstrate how families and teams use these practices
• A video demonstration of nighttime positioning systems
• Time for Q&A

Presenter:

Pamela Cummings, M.Ed., PT is a pediatric physical therapist with over 30 years of experience supporting children and young adults with motor disorders and complex needs. She serves are project director for the Vermont Early Intervention Project and 24-Hour Postural Care within the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion at UVM.

Pam is especially passionate about 24-hour postural care and works closely with teams to apply this approach through comprehensive assessment, family-centered planning, and practical equipment solutions. Pam presents regularly at local, national, and international conferences, including the International Seating Symposium and the APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference, and is a frequent guest lecturer.

Her work emphasizes collaborative, team-based strategies to support posture, comfort, and participation across all environments, both during the day and at night.