Bone Abstracts

Background: Addressing the needs of a child with Severe, Complex or Atypical Osteogenesis Imperfecta (SCAOI) requires a full MDT approach to enable the child to access their environment and meet their true potential. MDT input is essential in ensuring the delivery of medicine, participation in meaningful activity and supporting of the functioning of the child and family in complex systems.

Presenting problem: Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) impacts upon all areas of life and as such timely holistic assessment and intervention enables children to realise their potential. We illustrate this using a case example of a child with Type III OI supported by an MDT systemic intervention.

Clinical management: We illustrate in this presentation the benefits of a ‘systems approach’ to assessment, case conceptualisation, intervention and evaluation. Tarrier & Calam (2002) demonstrated the importance of a systemic approach to holistic case conceptualisation in the need to integrate social, psychological and epidemiological factors to understand a problem a person is experiencing. Clinically we recommend the need for MDT approach not only for invention but in the complex formulation of treatment pathways ensuring the child and family receive timely and appropriate care. This case example looks at a problem arising for a child with SCAOI at the age of 6 when the the family presented the team with the following question ‘Is the special school our child is in going to meeting her needs?’ This complex question was simplified using a systems approach by further assessments including Weschler Scales of Intelligence, Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy assessment, equipment provision and testing as well as family reflective space enabling a collaborative case conceptualisation to be formed with the family. The family were empowered by the process to make the decision and transition the child into mainstream education where she was supported by the findings of the Weschler Scales (normal intelligence) and the provision of equipment such as the Madita Mini Chair to enable full classroom participation.

Discussion: Evidence based MDT intervention enables complex problem resolution for children and adults with OI, contributing towards the realisation of their true potential.

Disclosure: The authors declared no competing interests.