49th Annual Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder Course: Transforming SCI Rehabilitation through Clinical Decision-making

• Click Here for Full Course Brochure

• Early bird registration rate available through 2/5/2026. After, $250/$675

• You will choose either the virtual course or the three-day in-person course. After completing your registration, you’ll receive an email with instructions to set up your Academy Learning Portal account.
  
  
• Important for three-day course registrants: Please activate your account right away, as workshop selections are made through the portal. Some workshops have limited capacity, so make your selections as soon as possible to secure your first choice. Workshop details can be found in the course brochure. 

DESCRIPTION
This three-day hybrid course is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the nuanced choices that shape spinal cord injury/disorder (SCI/D) care across all stages of recovery. Day one, delivered virtually, features expert-led sessions that explore acute, subacute and chronic surgical and conservative decision-making, the evolving role of spinal cord stimulation and psychological adjustment to disability. The day concludes with a panel on behavioral health planning. Days two and three are held in person at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, where participants apply these concepts through case-based workshops covering autonomic dysfunction, gait training, wheelchair mobility, bowel/bladder management, pressure injury care, robotic/orthotic interventions, respiratory decision-making and return-to-drive planning. This course emphasizes interdisciplinary reasoning and real-world application to optimize functional outcomes and quality of life in individuals with SCI/D.

AUDIENCE
Advanced Practice Nurses, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Speech-language Pathologists, Physicians and Physician Assistants.

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
To successfully complete this course, you must attend and participate in virtual and/or both live dates, submit attendance codes in the Academy Learning Portal and complete an online evaluation of the program June 11, 2026. Optional prework associated with your workshop of choice will be available March 11th, 2026.

LEARNER OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Summarize current approaches to surgical and medical decision-making in the acute, subacute and chronic phases of SCI management.
2. Explain the role and implications of neuromodulation, outcome measures and psychological adjustment in SCI rehabilitation planning.
3. Describe how technology and outcome measures can be used to inform Clinical Decision Making in SCI/D.
4. Identify how interprofessional collaboration and lived experience shape effective behavioral, equipment and environmental decisions in disability adjustment.
5. Apply clinical reasoning skills to simulate real-time decisions related to various workshops in spinal cord injury care.

COURSE FACULTY
Additional course faculty listed in the brochure*

• Monica A. Perez, PT, PhD (Course Chair)
• Dr. Christopher S. Ahuja, MD, PhD
• David Chen, MD
• Dr. Colin Franz, MD, PhD
• Parag Gad, PhD
• Arun Jayaraman PT, PhD
• Jennifer H. Kahn, PT, DPT
• Milap Sandhu, PhD
• Jenna Bruchauser Sarna, PsyD, ABPP
• Brent D. Schnipke, MD

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT:
Nursing: Check back soon!
 
Occupational Therapy: 

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID# pending This blended/hybrid course is offered up to 19.0 contact hours, 1.9 CEUs [intermediate level, foundational knowledge/OT service delivery]. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

*ASHA CE is only provided for the one-day virtual Course June 3, 2026.