Course Description:
Kids Physio Group and The Running Physio have teamed up to create the world’s first course directed specifically on how to work with kids on the skill of running. Together, both instructors from the pediatric and running worlds will teach you all about typical running development from infancy to teenagerhood, provide you with running and biomechanical assessment strategies, and explore the special considerations for performance running in pediatrics.
This course is designed for physiotherapists or other practitioners who work with young to teenaged children seeking assessment, consultation, or practical strategies directed at addressing developmental running concerns, treating running-related injuries, and improving running performance. Through online modules and 2 comprehensive in-person days,, you will become familiar with the Three Cornerstones Framework used to simplify your assessment of a patient with a running-related concern, learn how running is a motor milestone throughout a typical child’s development, become confident in conducting simple-to-complex pediatric gait analyses, and learn basic principles for consultation of performance running patients and their families.
This course uses theoretical lecture knowledge, functional assessment and gait analysis, case studies, and lecture summaries. A “Patient Pathway Map” is used to structure this course and to provide you with an overview of suggested management strategies depending on your patient’s goals.
Practitioners who enjoy running will appreciate the tools and techniques provided for working with running-specific problems, and pediatric physios will benefit from being able to connect how early motor milestones can affect running patterns and gait. Generalized physiotherapists can arm themselves with knowledge from both the pediatric and running realms to supercharge their assessment and treatment techniques when working with the young adult active population.
The Instructors:
About Carly Slater
Originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Carly completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Victoria before moving to Vancouver to complete her Master of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia. After experiencing her own orthopedic challenges, including two pediatric orthopedic surgeries and interacting with physiotherapists during her childhood, Carly entered the field with a keen interest in pediatrics.
Carly has been working exclusively with the pediatric population in a private setting for over 5 years. She enjoys treating patients ranging from babies to teenagers and loves the challenge of making sessions effective and fun. Carly contributes her sharp knowledge of motor development to this course and helps learners understand the process of learning and refining motor skills - including running!
In addition to her clinical work, Carly is the Director of Clinical Excellence for Kids Physio Group. She helps mentor new physiotherapists on the KPG team and coordinates learning opportunities for the 70+ physiotherapists on the team across the country.
Outside the clinic, you would likely find Carly training at CrossFit, playing one of many sports, catching up with her three sisters, cheering on the Canucks and Seahawks, traveling somewhere warm, or adventuring in the mountains on her snowboard. She can be reached at carly@kidsphysio.ca.
Continuing Education Education Background
● Therapeutic Taping Certification Level I
● Level 1 Advanced Orthopaedic Manual And Manipulative Therapy
● Neurokinetic Therapy Level 1
● Complete Concussion Management Certification
● Neurodevelopmental Therapy Introduction, Paediatrics
● TMR TOTs and Teens Level 1
● Pediatric Pelvic Floor, Level 1&2
● Gait: Observation and Individualized Intervention with Ankle-Foot Orthosisapproaches.
About Lauren Roberts
Physiotherapist and Founder of The Running Physio, Lauren has been a runner for over 15 years. She competed heavily in triathlons and had the opportunity to race on the world stage in 2015 at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Austria. She has been racing half marathons and marathons for many years, including the Boston Marathon in 2018. After becoming a parent in 2020, Lauren shifted gears out of running competitively and focuses mostly now on coaching runners to reach their goals and managing the growing Running Physio clinic.
After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy from the University of Toronto in 2011, Lauren continued her education at U of T’s School for Continuing Education, participating in a Business Management certificate program. During this time, Lauren worked at a large sports medicine clinic where her specialty grew to become gait analyses and lower extremity overuse injuries. In 2016, Lauren opened The Running Physio and created a cohesive and thorough onboarding course for clinicians joining the team. She also created the Real Running Course that is specifically designed to give physiotherapists actionable, simple assessment and treatment techniques to give clinicians confidence in treating runners of all levels and abilities.
When not thinking or brainstorming various big ideas, you’ll find Lauren at a yoga or pilates class, hanging out with her toddler daughter, or probably taking a too-long nap. Lauren is passionate about supporting other female entrepreneurs and loves connecting with like-minded women. She can be reached at lauren@therunningphysio.ca
Continuing Education Education Background
● Level 3 Advanced Orthopaedic and Manual Therapy
● Certified Pilates Instructor
● Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP)
● APTEI Acupuncture and Dry Needling Upper and Lower Extremity
● The Running Clinic - New Trends in the Prevention of Running Injuries
● Centre for Mindfulness Studies - Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
● University of Toronto Business Management Certificate
