Target audience: Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, allied health assistants. No pre-requisites.

Dates: 11th, 18th & 25th Aug 2025 (3 consecutive Mondays, 6:00pm - 10:00pm AEST, 4-hrs each time)

(Please check your local timezone)

Cost: $437.48 AUD ($380 + booking fee $17.71 + $39.77 GST)

[Registrants or their employer can request an invoice via the Humanitix platform at the time of ticket payment if they cannot pay via credit card online, then pay the invoice within 7 days via the StrokeEd bank account (or the ticket will be cancelled). Non-Australians can request an invoice excl Australian GST and also pay StrokeEd via direct bank payment, but need to request a separate invoice by emailing us at: info@strokeed.com]

Format, Attendance and Assumed Knowledge: Fully online via Zoom. No assumed knowledge. Suitable for students, recent graduates and experienced therapists. Each therapist should attend ALL three events.

Presenters: Dr Annie McCluskey (OT) and Karl Schurr (PT)

Pre-reading: Recommended homework will be provided, before and between sessions, to apply skills and knowledge acquired.

Workshop manual: PPT slides and worksheets will be provided electronically.

PART 1: Analysis, 4-hrs (Mon 11th Aug ): Examples of features to observe when a person reaches to grasp and manipulate objects such as a cup or cutlery. Common compensations or kinematic deviations will be highlighted due to weakness and/or loss of coordination, using slow motion video analysis.

PART 2: Retraining for People who are Very Weak, 4-hrs (Mon 18th Aug): Examples of strength and task-specific training of the shoulder, arm and hand, which stroke survivors can practice independently including shoulder protraction, forward flexion, external rotation, wrist and finger extension, supination and thumb abduction. Interventions for eliciting movement will include mirror therapy, mental practice and electrical stimulation. Emphasis will be placed on semi-supervised and independent practice, enabling up to 300 repetitions per hour without manual guidance. Evidence will be presented supporting each intervention.

PART 3: Retraining Advanced Hand Coordination, 4 hrs (Mon 25th Aug): Examples will be presented targeting tasks of importance to stroke survivors including cutlery use, handwriting and haircare. Interventions will include task-specific training, mirror therapy, electrical stimulation, mental practice and constraint-induced movement therapy. Evidence will be presented supporting each intervention.

Learning objectives: Participants will learn how to:

• Name the essential components of reach, grasp and manipulation.

• Recognise common compensations when observing stroke survivors attempting to reach, grasp and manipulate objects.

• Explain how to minimise compensatory strategies or kinematic deviations during upper limb assessment and retraining.

• Plan an assessment and retraining session with a stroke survivor using motor learning principles and task-specific practice.

• Cite references from systematic reviews and guidelines that support use of strength training, mirror therapy, mental practice, electrical stimulation and constraint-induced movement therapy for improving upper limb recovery and coordination.