For infants, crawling is a gateway to exploring. It helps a child's physical, mental, and social development.

But what happens when a child can't crawl due to lack of strength or coordination? Infants with cerebral palsy often face these problems.

In this episode of Move Forward Radio, we talk with physical therapists Thubi Kolobe and Peter Pidcoe. They discuss their work on the Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler. It's a device that offers movement assistance to kids with CP and other developmental delays.  The Smithsonian Institution recognized the device during its 2015 "Innovation Festival."

Download the podcast on iTunes or listen below:

Click here to see more about the SIPPC.

Thubi Kolobe, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is a professor and lead researcher in the rehabilitative sciences department at the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include early mobility in infants, early identification of infants at risk for developmental disabilities, and other areas that affect quality of life for infants and toddlers with disabilities. 

Peter Pidcoe, PT, PhD, DPT, is a member of the physical therapy, biomedical engineering, and physical medicine and rehabilitation departments at the Virginia Commonwealth University. He teaches kinesiology, biomechanics, bioinstrumentation, and neuromuscular performance. Pidcoe also is the director of the Engineering and Biomechanics Lab. The lab brings engineering and physical therapy students together to work on projects to improve human performance.