Resource for Your Practice: BC Pediatric CIMT Guideline

BC Pediatric Constraint Induced Movement Therapy

Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) is an intervention aimed at improving upper extremity dysfunction in children with hemiplegia. The use of CIMT in pediatrics is based on promising research in children and a stronger body of evidence in adults following stroke or other types of brain injury. The core components of a CIMT program include intensive and repetitive task practice, the use of a restraint, task grading, and offering motivating tasks.

The objective of the guideline is to provide recommendations for the use of CIMT in clinical practice. The development of the guideline and implementation tools are based on the best available evidence and input from families and therapists in BC.


The BC Pediatric CIMT guideline has been adapted with permission for Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children (SHHCC) and BC Center for Ability (BC-CFA) from the original Pediatric CIMT evidence based care guideline by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre (2009) to offer updated evidence and service provision options that fit within the BC Service delivery framework.