The June edition of PTJ (Physical Therapy) is something special: an entire issue devoted to the ways pediatric physical therapy and developmental science are informing each other—all to the benefit of children and their families.

The issue shouldn't be missed, say Alyssa Fiss, PT, PhD, and Anjana Bhat, PT, PhD, both of whom are board-certified pediatric clinical specialists. PT in Motion News asked Fiss, a physical therapy professor at Mercer College, and Bhat, who teaches at the University of Delaware, to share their personal highlight of the issue. Here's what they had to say:

Alyssa Fiss: "Michele Lobo and colleagues' ‘Wearables for Pediatric Rehabilitation: How to Optimally Design and Use Products to Meet the Needs of Users’ was a favorite of mine among many very strong articles. This article provides an excellent overview of the broad spectrum of wearable clothing and devices that support pediatric rehabilitation. Specific examples of wearables, with benefits and considerations for each, provide for interesting, thought-provoking reading about the variety of options available for children. When I read it, I was inspired to think of ways to creatively and intentionally use or design wearables to support children in active engagement and participation in daily life."

Anjana Bhat: "I think 'Feasiblity and Effectiveness of Intervention With the Playskin Lift Exoskeletal Garment for Infants at Risk' by Iryna Babik and colleagues is one of the standouts of the issue. This is a beautifully written paper describing changes in reaching and cognitive performance over a 4-month period as well as a 1-month follow-up in infants born preterm or with birth injury, or both. This paper is unique in its use of a Playskin Lift garment to improve reaching and object exploration skills of young infants. Clinicians who work with challenging and highly diverse populations will gain a lot from this paper, including some new ideas on how to broaden their therapeutic toolbox. Parents should also be encouraged to explore what Babik and her coauthors have to say."

But wait, there's more: in addition to the articles highlighted above, the special issue includes perspectives and original research on topics ranging from the ways motor skills development is connected to social skill development, to neonatal abstinence syndrome, as well as a case study on the use of electrical stimulation in gait training of adolescents with cerebral palsy. In all, 17 articles are included in the special issue.

"Pediatric physical therapy and developmental science share a fundamental concern—the optimization of developmental outcome," write special issue coeditors Jill Heathcock, PT, PhD, and psychologist Jeffrey Lockman, PhD. "We believe this issue contains 'something for everyone'—practical information for clinicians in the trenches and intriguing trends in research for investigators."

Attending the 2019 APTA NEXT Conference and Exposition? Stop by the PTJ booth in the APTA pavilion to find out more about the special issue and all of the other resources available at the journal's website.