Functional Movement Development Across the Life Span

The 2nd edition of this expert text emphasizes normal development and function, examining how function is attained and how it can be optimized across the life span. Its logical organization and presentation equips readers with the background and tools needed to understand the components of functional movement. A solid grounding in normal development, including the cellular and systems changes that begin in the embryo and continue throughout life, enables readers to recognize, understand, and appropriately treat abnormal motor function. This new, expanded edition features enhanced content related to development of specific age groups, with a unique focus on the ongoing development of the healthy older adult. Specifically, the chapters dealing with the skeletal system, the cardiovascular and pulmonary system, and the nervous system have been extensively updated and more comprehensively illustrated.

Covers the development of function throughout the life span and focuses on changes related to motor function that are key to physical and occupational therapy.

Chapter objectives and summaries help readers understand the most important points in a chapter.

Comprehensive, updated reference lists direct the reader to further information on key topics.

A clear and logical text sequence progresses from definitions and basic concepts, to body systems, movement outcomes and implications.

Effective illustrations and photographs, many new to this edition, highlight developmental milestones, development and function of body systems, and movement outcomes.

A two-color design emphasizes significant information in illustrations and highlights key headings in the text.

Clinical Implications sidebars relate chapter content to clinical practice such task-based intervention, osteoporosis prevention, and prescriptions for exercise.

An expanded discussion of assessment tools addresses historically relevant research and examples, as well as the commonly used FIM and Wee-FIM tools.

An enhanced review of theories important to development and functional movement is included.

Expanded discussions of age-related content across the entire life span are presented in one comprehensive source.

Donna J. Cech, MS, PT, PCS, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL; and Suzanne "Tink" Martin, MACT, PT, Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN