In this issue we explore ways practitioners approach providing care for patients through adolescence, and how, just as in any relationship with a child, communication methods must reflect unique personalities and evolve as time passes.
Providing O&P care for children and adolescents presents several particular challenges. While the physical details are most often highlighted—the size and weight of components and the frequent need to repair and replace devices due to the users’ growth spurts and high-energy activities, for example—perhaps one of the most difficult issues for clinicians to navigate
is the caregiver/patient dynamic regarding treatment decisions.
