The problem with cookie-cutter physical therapy | Helene Polatajko | TEDxToronto

On October 27, 2016, some of Toronto’s greatest thinkers and change-makers joined together onstage at TEDxToronto to deliver powerful talks and performances that embodied our theme, Symbols + Signals.

To learn more visit: tedxtoronto.com.
Follow TEDxToronto on Twitter (@TEDxToronto), Facebook (TEDxToronto), and Instagram (@TEDxToronto).

Dr. Helene Polatajko is an internationally respected researcher, clinician and educator of occupational therapy and rehabilitation science. Her work has focused on understanding how to enable people who are challenged to perform the necessary tasks of everyday living.

The research she has spearheaded has resulted in groundbreaking work on the role of cognition in motor performance. This new cognitive-based approach has resulted in individuals being able to quickly learn the skills that have eluded them for years, skills that had often been deemed impossible for them.

Dr. Polatajko has received numerous national and international honors and awards, and her work with colleagues and graduate students has significantly changed the face of treatment for children and adults with such neuromotor disorders as developmental coordination, dystonia, stroke, and acquired brain injury. Her approach is being used nationally and internationally.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx