Management and dissemination of professional expertise: Physiotherapists’ perceptions of the supervision of dedicated aides working with children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

A qualitative study was undertaken to explore pediatric phy-siotherapists’perceptions and experiences of supervising dedi-cated aides responsible for the daily care of preschool childrenwith cerebral palsy. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews. A theme-based content analysis yieldedthree major themes. Supervision and therapy were provided simul-taneously, giving supervision a secondary priority. The physiothera-pists transitioned their professional language into a common formof language to make the aides understand. The importance ofletting aides attain first-person experiences of professional skillswas highlighted. Implications of the findings for supervision inpediatric physiotherapy and for future research are addressed.