Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center > Features > Dance as therapy for children with cerebral palsy

Dance as therapy for children with cerebral palsy

Families gather with their children after a dance class developed to study the therapeutic benefits for children with cerebral palsy.

Dean Barker, program researchers, staff and study participants celebrate the conclusion of the program with an open class in front of parents and family members.

UC Irvine researchers study the benefits of dance on children with cerebral palsy

The Therapeutic Dance Program for Children with Cerebral Palsy is a collaborative pilot research effort of UC Irvine Health Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center (PERC), UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts, Children’s Cerebral Palsy Movement (CCPM), Chapman University and CHOC Children’s Orthopaedic Institute.

The goal is to evaluate the effects of therapeutic dance on the bodies and minds of children with cerebral palsy, said PERC Executive Director Shlomit Radom-Aizik, PhD.

Data generated by this pilot project will be incorporated into future large clinical trial applications.

Special thanks

PERC gratefully acknowledges CCPM for initiating and supporting this pilot study. CCPM is a nonprofit organization committed to reshaping approaches to CP rehabilitation through the development and funding of innovative research.

PERC also thanks Chapman University's Marybeth Grant-Beuttler, PhD, and Afshin Aminian, MD, medical director of the CHOC Children's Orthopaedic Institute, for their involvement in this study.