JOURNAL

THE BENEFITS OF PSYCHOMOTRIC THERAPY IN THE REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

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About the Authors

Mathilde Fradet – Psychomotor Therapist, French Red Cross Centre Les Massues, Lyon, France, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5425-430X  

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is a complex and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that affects not only motor function but also children's sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and psychosocial abilities. Limitations in sensorimotor experiences resulting from motor impairments, pain, and surgical interventions may compromise the development of body representation. In this context, psychomotor therapy is part of a biopsychosocial approach to rehabilitation and provides support centered on the young patient's bodily experience. This article presents several therapeutic dimensions of psychomotor intervention for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Particular attention is given to supporting body representation and body awareness, addressing the subjective bodily and emotional experience associated with pain and surgery, preventing kinesiophobia, and working on body image and self-esteem during adolescence. Through sensorimotor and creative therapeutic mediations, psychomotor therapists promote the integration of bodily changes, facilitate the reinvestment of movement, and encourage the active involvement of young patients in their rehabilitation process. In collaboration with other rehabilitation professionals, psychomotor therapy contributes to the development of autonomy, social participation, and quality of life in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.

Keywords

Cerebral palsy, psychomotor therapy, body representation, body awareness, rehabilitation, kinesiophobia, body image.

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