Rehabilitation Medicine

Improving Kids' Movement, Function & Communication

Pediatric physical medicine expert working with girl wearing arm device and playing with blocks.

Certain conditions and brain or spinal cord injuries can affect children's abilities to move, get around, communicate, think and perform everyday activities (like eating, bathing and using the bathroom). Our rehabilitation care (also known as pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation or PM&R) includes evaluation and treatment that stresses the importance of education and training for both your child and family as a whole. Our goal is to improve kids' functional abilities, get them back home, and help them achieve the best possible quality of life.

Conditions We Treat

We see a full spectrum of conditions — far too many to list here. The conditions we treat vary depending upon the location and providers selected. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.

amputation
brain injuries or conditions (such as concussion, stroke, brain tumor or loss of oxygen to the brain)
burns
cancer
cerebral palsy
chronic musculoskeletal pain (ongoing muscle and bone pain)
developmental delays or disabilities
encephalitis (a rare brain inflammation caused by a virus)
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
lymphedema
meningitis (a serious illness affecting membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord)
muscular dystrophy (and other neuromuscular disorders)
orthopedic conditions and injuries (after surgery)
respiratory (breathing) issues
spasticity (severe muscle stiffness)
spina bifida
spinal cord dysfunction and injury
trauma (such as injuries from a car crash)

Services We Offer

Our team provides care in a variety of settings, including at your child’s bedside and in the rehabilitation therapy gym. We offer comprehensive inpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation services, which may vary depending upon the condition and location:

cognitive remediation (therapy designed to help kids with brain impairments improve thinking abilities such as attention, working memory, flexibility of reasoning and planning)
neuropsychology (the study of how the brain affects children’s actions and thoughts)
occupational therapy (to help develop or recover essential daily skills)
physical therapy (to help kids maximize their physical abilities, independence, fitness and quality of life)
prescription/management of assistive devices, bracing/splinting, wheelchairs, seating, prosthetics and orthotics
school re-entry (looking at your child’s educational needs and helping to develop a plan for returning to school)
speech/language therapy (to help kids with speech and language disorders, or feeding and swallowing concerns)

Why Choose Us

At Nemours, your child can benefit from a large, coordinated team of seasoned, skilled professionals led by board-certified physicians in physical medicine and rehabilitation (also called rehab physicians or pediatric physiatrists). We also consult with the rest of your child’s care team and school personnel to make sure we’re creating a plan that meets your child’s functional needs in every setting.

Regional Pediatric Rehabilitation Highlights

Services, programs and care teams differ at each location. Call for details.

Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia

We offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington, Del.) and select satellite Nemours duPont Pediatrics locations.

Our inpatient rehabilitation program is geared toward children who have severe limitations from their illness or injury and need to receive treatment in the hospital. Our Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program (CORP) is designed for kids who require the intensity of an inpatient pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation program, but who are medically able to live at home with their families and make progress toward specific functional rehabilitation goals. After discharge from an inpatient program, we can continue caring for your child through outpatient visits and team conferences (discussions of your child’s care by all team members).

Highlights of Our Care

integration with world-class programs (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, orthopedics)
only pediatric rehabilitation program in the greater Philadelphia region accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
pediatric rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology programs that include evaluation and individual, family and group therapy for kids
pediatric therapy pool — the largest of its kind in the tristate area
rehab physicians dually trained in pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) — our pediatric/PM&R residency training program is one of only three in the country offering double board certification
Ronald McDonald House of Delaware , right across from our campus, for an affordable home away from home during long hospital stays
wide range of pediatric medical specialty support that provides all the care kids might need, right within our hospital

Highlights of Our Facility

Our state-of-the-art Rehabilitation and Inpatient Therapy Center includes:

Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite, with fully furnished kitchen, modified bedroom and harness system to help children with limited mobility safely practice daily life tasks
outdoor terrace, where patients can continue rehab, play, and enjoy fresh air and solitude
remodeled on-site school classroom equipped with computers and library, and staffed by Nemours special education teachers
ZeroG® Gait and Balance System — the only pediatric hospital in the nation using the latest, upgraded model, which allows patients with limited mobility to test their limits without the fear of falling

Learn More About Why to Choose Us »

Central Florida

We offer a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation program at Nemours Children’s Hospital (Orlando) geared toward children who have severe limitations from their illness or injury and need to receive treatment.

Activities of Daily Living (ADL) apartment to practice skills such as dressing, eating, personal hygiene/grooming, and using equipment to transfer from wheelchair to bed or tub bench
advanced pediatric medical imaging services available on-site
integration with world-class programs (brain and spinal cord injuries, diseases of the nervous system, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy)
internationally recognized research and clinical trials for kids with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal (muscle and bone) conditions
latest technologies in assistive devices, customized bracing, prosthetics and orthotics on site
led by three of only about 250 physiatrists in the country who are dual-certified in both physical medicine and rehabilitation and pediatric rehabilitation medicine
one of only four multispecialty pediatric inpatient rehabilitation programs in all of Florida — and the only one in Central Florida
only pediatric rehabilitation program in the state of Florida located in a freestanding children’s hospital
Ronald McDonald House on campus, for an affordable home away from home during long hospital stays
seamless, coordinated care with on-site physicians in more than 30 pediatric specialties
unique treatment settings, like our outdoor Discovery Garden that integrates therapy with healing, nature and sensory exploration