Required texts

There is no compulsory reading required other than material presented in lectures and tutorials. Links to the recommended readings can be found on the Reading List tab on Canvas.

Highly Recommended Readings – Paediatrics

1. Novak I, Morgan C, Fahey M, et al. State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. 2020;20(2):3. doi:10.1007/s11910-020-1022-z. 
2. Spittle AJ, Doyle LW, Boyd RN. A Systematic Review of the Clinimetric Properties of Neuromotor Assessments for Preterm Infants During the First Year of Life. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 2008;50(4):254–266. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.02025.x.
3. Button BM, Wilson C, Dentice R, et al. Physiotherapy for Cystic Fibrosis in Australia and New Zealand: A Clinical Practice Guideline. Respirology. 2016;21(4):656–667.
4. Kokorelias KM, Gignac MAM, Naglie G, Cameron JI. Towards a Universal Model of Family Centred Care: A Scoping Review. BMC Health Services Research. 2019;19:564. doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4394-5.

Other Recommended Paediatrics Readings

1. Pierrat V, Marchand-Martin L, Arnaud C, et al. Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 2 Years for Preterm Children Born at 22 to 34 Weeks' Gestation in France in 2011: EPIPAGE-2 Cohort Study. BMJ. 2017;358:j3448.
2. Wearing SC, Hennig EM, Byrne NM, Steele JR, Hills AP. The Impact of Childhood Obesity on Musculoskeletal Form. Obesity Reviews. 2006;7(2):209–218.
3. Fitzgerald DA, Follett J, Van Asperen PP. Assessing and Managing Lung Disease and Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews. 2009;10(1):18–24.
4. Blank R, Barnett AL, Cairney J, et al. International Clinical Practice Recommendations on the Definition, Diagnosis, Assessment, Intervention, and Psychosocial Aspects of Developmental Coordination Disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 2019;61(3):242–285. doi:10.1111/dmcn.14132. 
5. Pate JW, Hush JM, Hancock MJ, Moseley GL, Butler DS, Simons LE, Pacey V. A Child's Concept of Pain: An International Survey of Pediatric Pain Experts. Children. 2018;5(1):12.
6. Jackman M, Sakzewski L, Morgan C, et al. Interventions to improve physical function for children and young people with cerebral palsy: international clinical practice guideline. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2022;64(5):536-549. doi:10.1111/dmcn.15055
7. Mackean GL, Thurston WE, Scott CM. Bridging the Divide Between Families and Health Professionals' Perspectives on Family-Centred Care. Health Expectations. 2005;8(1):74–85.
8. Hodgson CR, Mehra R, Franck LS. Child and Family Outcomes and Experiences Related to Family-Centered Care Interventions for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review. Children. 2024;11(8):949. doi:10.3390/children11080949.
9. Campbell SK, Palisano RJ, Orlin MN. Physical Therapy for Children. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2022.  

       OR

 10. Tecklin JS. Pediatric Physical Therapy.

Highly Recommended for Ageing

1. Guccione AA, Wong RA, Avers D. Geriatric Physical Therapy. Latest edition available through the UC Library.
2. Morris ME, Schoo AMM (Eds.). Optimizing Exercise and Physical Activity in Older People. Butterworth-Heinemann; 2004.
3. Gray L. Geriatric Medicine: A Pocketbook for Doctors, Nurses and Other Health Professionals and Students. 2nd ed. Ausmed Publications; 2001.
4. Ropper AH, Burrell BD. Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole: Extraordinary Journeys into the Human Brain. Atlantic Books; 2014.

Submission of assessment items

Special assessment requirements

The oral exam is a hurdle assessment for this unit. To pass this unit, you must score 50% or higher for both the oral exam and the unit overall, in line with accreditation requirements of the Australian Physiotherapy Council.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the , , and Â鶹´å of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

Attendance Requirement: Students must attend specified classes and learning activities where attendance is essential to meet unit learning outcomes, professional accreditation or registration standards, work-integrated learning obligations, safety requirements, or assessment requirements. In particular, attendance is mandatory for activities that develop or assess safe practice, involve the use of specialised equipment, clinical environments, or other contexts where safety training, supervision, or risk management procedures are required. Attendance itself is not graded and does not contribute to the final mark. However, failure to meet mandatory attendance requirements may result in students being ineligible to undertake certain assessments and/or failing to satisfy the requirements of the unit.

It is expected that students unable to fulfil these participation requirements will inform the Unit Convener as soon as practicable, by email. Consideration will be given for illness, however evidence such as a medical certificate may be required.

Required IT skills

Students will need to have access to a mobile device during class to enable access to online material.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Mandatory notification and physiotherapy student registration
Mandatory Notifications to the Physiotherapy Board of Australia Pursuant to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, physiotherapy practitioners (registered physiotherapists) and education providers have an obligation to report ‘notifiable conduct', to the Physiotherapy Board of Australia in order to prevent the public being placed at risk of harm. Education providers are also required, under s.143 of the National Law, to make mandatory notifications in relation to students, if the provider reasonably believes:
a) a student enrolled with the provider has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm; or
b) a student for whom the provider has arranged clinical training has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking the clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

Practitioners are required to make a mandatory notification in relation to a student if the practitioner reasonably believes that a student has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

All concerns raised within the Discipline of Physiotherapy or by clinical supervisors or preceptors will be reviewed by the Head of Discipline and the Course Convener before any reporting action is taken. These professional obligations are taken seriously by staff and the Â鶹´å. Students should be aware of their obligations under student registration.

For further information, please refer to the following websites:
1. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority
2. Physiotherapy Board of Australia

Occupational Health and Safety
The following applies to all tutorial classes and placements:
Pre-existing conditions
Students are advised that the same warnings given to patients apply to students undertaking this course e.g. where a pre-existing condition(s) may be affected by any activity in the unit, the student is responsible to advise the unit co-ordinator or relevant teaching staff.

Manual handling
Physiotherapy work requires manual handling. You will be taught the correct way to perform manual handling and should use the principles at all times to prevent injury to yourself or your client. If you have any injury that may affect your capacity to perform manual handling skills you are required to notify the unit convener at the commencement of the semester. If you obtain a new injury during the course of the semester that may affect your capacity to perform manual handling skills you are required to notify the unit convener prior to the
next practical class. In the event of an injury being sustained during the practice of skills in class you are required to notify the unit convener within 24 hours of the event and complete a UC incident form.

Respect and consent
The student who is role-playing the patient should be given the full respect and courtesy that a patient would. This includes giving warnings, obtaining informed consent before a manual technique is performed, covering body areas that do not need to be exposed for the practice of the technique, and not making any inappropriate verbal comments.

As a ‘patient', you will be expected to partially disrobe to allow the ‘therapist' to see relevant body regions. Please ensure you are wearing appropriate clothing for the level of dress required during practical classes. Appropriate clothing reinforces a professional environment that fosters mutual respect, confidence and learning. As a therapist, your clothing should not prohibit your movements or present in any way as a safety hazard. Hair should be kept short or tied back off your face, and out of the patient's way. Fingernails should be trimmed, so that the white of the nail cannot be seen when looking at the hand from the palm.

Recording devices
Mobile phones are permitted during lectures and tutorials but must be switched to silent mode prior to the commencement of class. No cameras or videos or audio recordings are to be used in any classes without the specific permission of other students and the unit convener. Any person taking a picture, video or audio recording of staff or another student without permission will be requested to leave the class and the images and/or recording will be confiscated and deleted. Recording (video and/or auditory) of videos depicting patients is strictly prohibited. The student will also be brought to the attention of the Discipline Lead, Physiotherapy.

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Counselling
In the course of studying, physiotherapy students may be exposed to clinical cases and situations that may be stressful. At UC a free Counselling Service is available for all students. All sessions are confidential. The UC Counselling Service is located in the UC Health and Counselling Centre on Level B in Building 1. For more information please go to http://www.canberra.edu.au/health-counselling/counselling-service

• Semester 2, 2026, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (235159)