Intensive Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Boy in universal excercise unit

What is Intensive Therapy for CP?

Intensive PT is an emerging treatment in North America for children and young adults with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries, spina bifida, Down Syndrome, and other non-progressive neuromuscular disorders. “Intensive” is defined by individualized treatment sessions that are two, three or four-weeks in length for up to four hours per day, five days per week for up to 4 consecutive weeks per session. Research has shown that children are more likely to learn new and lasting skills through individualized and intense bouts of therapy focusing on strengthening, alignment, balance, proprioception, and functional activities. Some of the unique tools often used during the long treatment sessions are European-inspired, such as Suit Therapy and the Universal Exercise Unit (UEU)


How do I find an Intensive Therapy program?

The “Intensive Physical Therapy” model, which was originally inspired by Eastern European methods pioneered in the 1970’s, has been emerging in North America as an effective alternative to creating new functional skills in children who have non-progressive neuromuscular disorders. Euro-Peds® National Center for Intensive Pediatric PT out of Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan in Pontiac, Michigan, was the first clinic to introduce suit therapy to North America. Since opening in 1999, Euro-Peds® has treated over 900 children from virtually every U.S. state, Canada, Portugal and Jamaica.

Euro-Pēds® specializes in treating children & young adults with gross motor delays at all levels of involvement and employs licensed Physical Therapists with additional training in European therapy tools.

Euro-Pēds® is associated with the North Oakland Foundation, a nonprofit organization which financially assists families with therapy costs. As part of a fully accredited hospital, Euro-Pēds® accepts medical insurance.

For more information or an application, go to www.europeds.org or call 1-248-857-6776.

*Cerebral Palsy is commonly misspelled as cerable, cerebrol, cerabol, cerbal, sarabel and sarabol.