Spasticity Evaluation

Early evaluation is crucial in order to avoid the need for surgery and more complex procedures later in life, if possible. Children can be evaluated at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health beginning at any age, although most commonly children are seen after 1 or 2 years of age.

You and your child meet with experts who evaluate your child’s condition. Based on our findings, we create a plan with you for achieving your child’s goals.

Your child's plan will include:

• In a typical two-hour session, you’ll meet one at a time with all the specialists who are relevant to your child’s condition.
• After each caregiver has examined your child separately, the entire team meets together to discuss your child’s condition. Then, we sit down with you to discuss results and possible options to improve your child’s quality of life.
• We create a life plan for your child, tapping into his or her current status and future potential to live the very best life possible for him or her.
• Recommendations for ongoing treatment may guide you to other care providers, such as physical and occupational therapists.
• An appointment for a follow-up visit is scheduled.

Our Motion Analysis and Sports Performance Laboratory is a unique program that involves camera and computer analysis of walking, done in a separate visit. The additional data acquired helps in evaluating children who want to improve their walking.

• Using sophisticated technology, therapists measure your child’s degree of strength, range of motion, tone, and ability to control the legs, as well as the amount of energy he or she uses when walking.
• This information provides insights into your child’s condition that will be incorporated into his or her life plan.