Every child deserves the opportunity to explore, play, and participate using both hands. Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) is an evidence-based, intensive therapy approach designed to help children improve the use of an arm and hand affected by neurological injury or differences.
What this means for your child
Every CIMT session is designed to feel like purposeful play, and parent coaching helps new arm and hand skills carry over at home.
Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy encourages children to use their weaker arm by temporarily limiting use of their stronger arm with a removable cast during therapy activities. This creates opportunities for the brain to strengthen connections that support movement, coordination, and functional use of the affected arm.
Therapy is individualised and focuses on meaningful activities that motivate each child while promoting success through carefully graded challenges.
Incorporated into your child’s intensive. At NAPA, CIMT is more than placing a cast on a child’s stronger arm. It is a carefully designed program that combines intensive, meaningful practice with play, motivation, and family involvement across all disciplines and modality use to help children develop lasting functional skills. Learn more about our intensive therapy program.
CIMT may be appropriate for children with:
Children should have some active movement of the affected arm and hand. Our therapists complete a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether CIMT is the best treatment approach for your child.
Every session is designed to feel like purposeful play while targeting meaningful goals. Your child’s program may include:
Activities that encourage reaching, grasping, releasing, and manipulation.
Dressing, eating, colouring, building, and self-care.
Age-appropriate games that promote repetition without feeling repetitive.
Building the small, precise hand movements used in play and daily life. Try these fine motor activities at home.
Strengthening and endurance activities alongside coordination and motor planning.
Bilateral hand skills as new abilities emerge, plus parent coaching to support carryover at home.
Our therapists continually adjust activities to provide the “just right challenge,” helping children experience success while building new skills.
CIMT is an evidence-based, intensive therapy approach that helps children improve the use of an arm and hand affected by neurological injury or differences. It encourages children to use their weaker arm by temporarily limiting use of their stronger arm with a removable cast during therapy activities.
CIMT may be appropriate for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, perinatal or paediatric stroke, traumatic brain injury, brachial plexus injury (in selected cases), and other neurological conditions resulting in one-sided weakness.
Yes. Children should have some active movement of the affected arm and hand. Our therapists complete a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether CIMT is the best treatment approach for your child.
Every session is designed to feel like purposeful play, with activities such as reaching, grasping, releasing, dressing, eating, colouring, building, and age-appropriate games, along with parent coaching to support carryover at home.
Yes. At NAPA, CIMT is incorporated into your child’s intensive therapy program, combining intensive, meaningful practice with play, motivation, and family involvement across all disciplines.
Please enquire with your local clinic about upcoming CIMT availability.
Our therapists complete a comprehensive evaluation to see whether CIMT fits your child’s goals. Reach out to start the conversation.
or call 020 4515 5441