Intra and Extramural Funding
Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation
01/01/2009-12/31/2010
Principal Investigator
Outcomes of Interventions for Spasticity Management among Children and Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy and their Families
The project is an interdisciplinary, comprehensive long-term outcome study being conducted in collaboration with the Spasticity and Movement Disorders Clinic of UW-Health and the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin. The team includes occupational, physical and speech therapists as well as a nutritionist and neurosurgeon. The aim of our project is to determine the physiological, functional and well-being effects of Intrathecal Baclofen pump placement and associated therapy interventions on children or young adults with cerebral palsy and their caregivers. Results of this work will provide information on expected outcomes of ITB and assist clients and practitioners in selecting appropriate interventions for management of spasticity.
Centers for Disease Control, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring and Centers for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (ADDM/CADDRE) Surveillance Network
2003-2006 & 2006-2010
Co-Investigator (Maureen Durkin, PhD, PI)
A project to plan and implement a population-based, multi-source surveillance system for cerebral palsy among 8-year old children in Southeast and Southcentral Wisconsin during the surveillance years 2002, 2004 and 2006. Under the direction of Dr. Benedict, the Wisconsin ADDM site is coordinating and developing methods for determining level of gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy across multiple sites.
Teaching Areas
TS 612
Professional Skills III: Organization and Management
This course covers the principles and practices of organization and management and their application in both traditional and innovative occupational therapy practice settings.
KINES 775 - Special Topic
Assistive Technology in Practice
This course enhances skills in the application of assistive technology (AT) to practice. Objectives of the course include:
- Acquiring knowledge of the latest assistive technologies and their application for persons with disability;
- Understanding the policies, funding sources, and research evidence supporting use of AT across settings;
- Identifying strategies for measuring the effectiveness of AT interventions used in practice;
- Developing skills in the use of technology for administrative functions including communication, record-keeping, and presentation.
Students engage in learning experiences relevant to a particular practice setting or area of interest. This course is designed for practitioners or graduate students in the fields of Occupational Therapy, Communicative Disorders, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education.
TS 613
Professional Skills IV: Community-based Occupational Therapy Practice
Students explore the concepts of occupational alienation, deprivation, marginalization and imbalance and their relationship to achieving occupational justice for diverse populations. Through the development of a community-based program grant, students express their understanding of the power of occupation as a transformative agent for an identified population.
Publications
Benedict, R.E. & Baumgardner, A. (2009).
A population approach to understanding children's access to assistive technology. Disability & Rehabilitation, 31:7,582-592.
Arneson, C.L., Durkin, M.S., Benedict, R.E., Kirby, R.S., Yeargin-Allsopp, M., Van Naarden Braun, K., Doernberg, N.S.. (2009).
Brief report: Prevalence of cerebral palsy – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, three sites, United States, 2004. Disability & Health Journal, 2 :1, 45-48.
Yeargin-Allsopp, M., Braun, K., Doernberg, N.,
Benedict, R.E., Kirby, R., & Durkin, M. (2008).
Prevalence of Cerebral Palsy in 8-year-old children
in three areas of the United States in 2002: A multisite collaboration, Pediatrics,121(3),547-554.
Benedict, R.E.(2008).
Quality medical homes: Meeting children’s needs for therapeutic and supportive services. Pediatrics , 121(1), e127-e134.
Benedict, R.E.(2006).
Disparities in use of and unmet need for therapeutic and supportive services among school-age children with functional limitations: A comparison across settings. Health Services Research 41, 103-124.
Oftedahl, E., Benedict, R.E. & Katcher, M. L. (2004).
National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs: Wisconsin-specific data. Wisconsin Medical Journal, 103(5), 88-90.
Benedict, R. E., & Farel, A. M. (2003).
Identifying children in need of ancillary and enabling services: A population approach. Social Science & Medicine, 57, 2035-2047.
Benedict, R. E., Farel, A. M., & Howell, E.(1999).
Estimates of children with special needs in North Carolina. (Statistical Brief No. 18). North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics.
Benedict, R. E., Lee, J. P., Marrujo, S. K., & Farel, A. M. (1999).
Assistive devices as an early intervention: Evaluating outcomes. Technology and Disability,11,79-90.