Handbook of Pediatric Physical Therapy, ed 2.

Long TM, Toscano K. Baltimore, MD 21201-2436, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002, paperback, 310 pp, illus, ISBN: 0-7817-2799-5, $34.95.

A handbook serves as a quick reference for essential information. The depth of information is deliberately limited, in order to provide numerous facts in a simple, concise way. This style of presentation allows the Handbook of Pediatric Physical Therapy, Second Edition, to serve as a companion to existing texts on pediatric physical therapy. The purpose of this book is to convey specific and significant information necessary for decision making in pediatric settings. This handbook would be a valuable asset in any pediatric practice setting. It can be useful to students who are beginning to learn the details of pediatric practice, the therapist who is new to the pediatric setting and is not fully versed in this specialty area, and the seasoned practitioner who may need updated information.

The book's salient features are the topics covered, the ease of access to and reading of bulleted information, its organization, and the multiple references to resources. The limitations of this handbook are its lack of information about motor skill development in school-aged children and its lack of references specific to each chapter. There is an alphabetized bibliography at the end of the book, but it is difficult to find additional information about particular topics from this list. The reader would find it more useful to have sources listed by chapter in order to find more in-depth information.

The style of each chapter is consistent in their use of heading and subheadings (noted in red) for ease of location of specific information. Other style features that provide quick access to information are tables and boxes. For example, chapter 1, "Growth and Development," contains 14 tables that provide easy-to-read descriptions of typical and atypical motor development from the fetal stage to approximately 5 years of age. Boxes in chapter 2, "Pediatric Conditions," highlight the characteristics of the infant who was born premature and indicators of abuse and neglect in children, and a box in chapter 5, "Assistive Technology," includes decision-making questions related to equipment selection. Chapter 5 contains many pictures of devices for mobility (eg, posterior walker, tilt-in-space wheelchair, and ankle-foot orthoses) and positioning aids (eg, posture chair, bench, and prone stander).

The content of each chapter is distinctive and up-to-date. Chapter 1 reviews main points and trends related to all aspects of growth of the child, with an emphasis on physical growth. Chapter 2 considers the spectrum of conditions that may be seen by a pediatric therapist, such as genetic disorders, premature birth, abuse and neglect, and developmental disabilities. It also offers examples of conditions that fall under the 4 major categories in the first edition of the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice (Guide).

Chapter 3, "Measurement," provides good clarification of the differences in terms and processes, such as "evaluation," "assessment," and "screen," as they are used in the Guide and in the federal legislation that drives some of pediatric practice. Concepts of psychometric properties and standard scores are also reviewed, and then various standardized tests are examined in detail. Chapter 4, "Intervention," contains short overviews of many of the interventions used by the pediatric physical therapist; these interventions fall under the headings of physical handling, motor-based programs, and electrical stimulation. This chapter also contains interventions for selected areas such as spasticity management, pediatric orthopedic conditions, and infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Chapter 5 describes assistive technology and has guidelines for measuring proper seating and troubleshooting.

Chapter 6, "Administrative Issues," is an excellent review of the key features of federal law that govern much of pediatric practice. In addition to the information about the law, chapter 6 outlines the philosophy of pediatric care, differences in service delivery models, and differences in documentation related to the practice setting, age of the child, and focus of the program.

This handbook uses the language from the Guide extensively and combines it with language in federal legislation throughout. It offers extensive lists of standardized tests, pediatric conditions, interventions, and resources. Despite the lack of references specific to each chapter, I would recommend this handbook to practitioners for its style and contents.

Karen Kott, PT, PhD SUNY Upstate Medical University Syracuse, NY

Dr Kott, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy Education, teaches pediatric physical therapy and has worked as a school-based therapist.