Frequently Asked Questions About
ACQUIREc Therapy
(Pediatric CI Therapy)
Why was the Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic created?
This clinic was founded with initial funding from the Alabama Health Services Foundation to fill a critical gap in the availability of effective interventions and supports for children with a wide variety of neuromotor disorders.
What is ACQUIREc Therapy?
ACQUIREc Therapy is a new approach to neuro-rehabilitation, and consists of 3 major components:
ACQUIREc Therapy begins by casting the child's less-affected arm. A full-length, lightweight fiberglass cast is applied from the upper arm to the tips of the fingers. Then the cast is univalved so it can be removed by the staff once a week to check for skin integrity, clean the arm, and offer the child a few minutes of movement. The cast is then immediately placed back on the arm. The reason for applying the cast is to restrain the use of the less-affected arm allowing concentrated facilitation of the more-affected arm.
Daily ACQUIREc Therapy (Pediatric CI therapy) begins the day after casting and includes play-based and functional activities to encourage your child to use the more affected arm. An ACQUIREc-trained therapist will establish a close working relationship with your child in his/her typical environment. The therapist will provide intensive treatment for 6 hours each day for 21 days (some weekends are included) over a 26-day period. The procedures are designed to elicit, facilitate, and refine voluntary control of the upper extremity. We will engage your child in many fun games and activities, with both familiar and new objects. We especially seek to have your child ACQUIRE useful movements and motor skills, and also to develop new confidence and independence in a variety of everyday situations.Where is the treatment administered?
Whenever possible, all treatment takes place in your child's natural environment. This may include home, temporary residence, school, park, grocery store, child care or a relative's home. One of the goals of the program is to give your child therapy in his/her own environment so that the child will learn to use the arm in his or her everyday life. We encourage families to keep as normal a family routine as possible, and allow our therapist to be with the child in these different environments. For visitors coming to Birmingham from out-of-town, we can provide brochures listing local accommodations. You may choose the location that best suits the needs of your family. Also, you are free to make any other arrangements you would like for the treatment period (e.g., staying at a relative or friend's house or applying to the Ronald McDonald House).
How long is the treatment period?
The treatment itself is carried out for 6 hours a day for 21 days (some weekends are included, usually a Saturday) over a 26-day period.
Is the cast removable?
The cast is uni-vavled when it is initially applied. It can therefore be removed, and we do so for a few minutes on a weekly basis. Families are asked not to remove the cast unless there is an emergency. We are on call 24 hours a day and can be contacted should a problem arise. Complications with the casted arm are extremely rare and usually involve only minor skin irritation.
Can family members participate?
We encourage family members to participate in learning about the treatment process. Parents are the most important people in a child's life. We encourage you to learn from our treatment so that you will be able to continue to assist your child and promote the learning of new behaviors, even after the formal portion of ACQUIREc Therapy ends.
What about the cost of the treatment?
Payment for the 3½-week therapy program is due 2 weeks prior to beginning treatment. Since ACQUIREc Therapy is currently an innovative and relatively new treatment that has not yet been adopted as "routine," you will likely not be able to claim any of the cost with your insurance company, HMO, Medicaid, or other third party payer, however we encourage families to contact any potential reimburses to check eligibility. Some families have gotten reimbursement. Please note, however that we do not yet have the ability to directly bill insurance companies and families are responsible for payment in full. We will provide itemized statements for any potential reimbursement purposes. The treatment involves 126 direct treatment hours (approximately 130 professional contact hours) and is $15,000.00.
If I cannot afford treatment, can I be put on a list for sponsorship?
We can place your child's name on a scholarship list, and if undesignated funds become available, children will be treated on a first-come first-served basis. However, most children who have gone through the program on sponsorship have done so through soliciting funds from within their local community, such as funding by local corporations, community garage sales or carnivals.
How can I sponsor a child?
In the event that you or someone you know would be interested in providing a partial or full scholarship for a child whose family cannot afford treatment, please let us know. All contributions to the UAB Civitan International Research Center are fully tax-deductible.
When can my child be treated?
Children will be treated in the order in which treatment is requested. If you are interested in having your child participate in this program please, contact us as soon as possible at the telephone number listed below. We will send you the necessary forms to start the enrollment process.
What are the eligibility requirements?
A participating child must be diagnosed with a neuromotor disability that results in one upper extremity being significantly weaker than the other, have no serious uncontrolled seizure disorders, and be medically stable at the time of treatment.
Which children are most likely to benefit from ACQUIREc Therapy?
The answer to this question is incomplete because of the limited research in this area. However, we do know that children who have had brain damage (from a variety of causes) that result in one side of their body being significantly weaker than the other are likely to benefit. To date, we have worked with more than 70 children from 7 months to 17 years of age, who have the following clinical diagnoses: cerebral palsy, hemisphrectomy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and hydrocephaly. Please understand that ACQUIREc is not appropriate for every child. If we feel that our services are not in the best interests of your child at any time, we reserve the right to decline or stop treatment. Any applicable refunds would be returned to you.
Would you like to know more?
If you would like to know more, please contact us at (205) 975-0466 (UAB Sparks Clinics) and request information about the Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic. You may also email us: Stephanie DeLuca, Ph.D. at sdeluca@uab.edu., and Karen Echols, Ph.D. at kechols@uab.edu.
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Contact Us
Direct Phone:An Interview With UAB's Dr. Stephanie DeLuca About ACQUIREc Therapy
The UAB Neuromotor Research Center web site is the online home for ACQUIREc Therapy (Pediatric Constraint Induced Therapy) program and it has received more than 16,000 visits during it's first 24 months of operation. The program is also attracting the interest of other health oriented web sites and now Dr. Stephanie DeLuca, who played a key role in bringing ACQUIREc Therapy (Constraint Induced Therapy) to children, is featured in an interview about the program at www.Holisticjunction.com. In addition to the interview, the article lists key research papers that paved the way for bringing this innovative therapy to children and their families.
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