The Section on Pediatrics Annual Conference will be held November 6-8, 2015, in Pittsburgh, PA (preconference courses will be November 4-5).

Visit www.sopac.us to register and to find out more about:

• Top 10 Reasons to Attend SoPAC 
• Practice Fair Applications (due July 15): Practicing clinicians are able to share ideas and information about clinical practice, including creative interventions, strategies, and activities; innovative programs; and adaptations, modifications, and specialized use of equipment, toys, and materials at their own table in the Exhibit Hall.
•  The Tri My Best Triathlon (still seeking athletes and "buddies" - apply by August 1): Twenty athletes will compete in swim, bike, and run events with adaptations and modifications. Participants will be selected on a first-come first-served basis. If you are volunteering to be a buddy, you will not be getting in the pool (there will be special pool assistants for that); you will just be walking with an athlete during the run and bike portions of the event.
• Exhibitor Registration: Exhibiting at SoPAC is a chance to get out the word about your company to hundreds of pediatric therapy providers with more than 7 hours of unopposed exhibit time. 
• Special Suggested Tracks for Participants: For PCS prep, for OTs, etc.
• Fun Events: Attend the Evening Event at the Andy Warhol Museum, hang out at a Pitt-Notre Dame Football Game, participate in the SOP Silent Auction, and network, network, network!

Register for housing as soon as you can - it's going to be a busy weekend in Pittsburgh and rooms are going fast!  

•  Fibromyalgia study done by amplified musculoskeletal pain team at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The average pain levels of 64 teens with fibromyalgia went from a 7.1 (at initial evaluation) to a 2 (at the 1-year follow up)-33% actually reported no pain. The average functional disability inventory scores went from moderately disabled to not disabled. No pain medication was used. This is a paradigm-shift because fibromyalgia patients are typically told to "take it slow" and "don't push yourself, you'll cause a flare up," so it appears that we need to rethink the dialogue and start treating these patients (at least pediatric patients) with much more intense physical and occupational therapy.
• Work of PTs from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Oklahoma Showcased at Innovation Festival at the Smithsonian. The Self-initiated Prone Progressive Crawler, which helps infants with developmental delays learn to independently explore their environments, is highlighted.