Transforming Rehabilitation for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Dr. Katherine Dimitropoulou discusses how her work is making mobility, fitness and behavioral health more integrated and accessible and community-driven for children with cerebral palsy.
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (Occupational Therapy), Katherine Dimitropoulou, PhD, OTR/L, is the Director of the Ed.D. Doctoral Program in Movement Sciences and the Action Development & Function Lab. She is an active leader in the WFCPC's Movement Recover Seminar Series, and key contributor to the WFCPC's clinical research efforts.
Dr. Dimitropoulou has spent more than 30 years working with children with cerebral palsy, with a focus on helping kids build mobility skills that last beyond the therapy session. Her research brings together movement, fitness, and emotional well-being, and it centers families and community programs so children can practice skills where life actually happens: at home, at school, and in sports and play. She has created a sports-based rehabilitation framework, GAME ON, designed to improve a person's agency, motor skills, fitness, and social participation through engaging, in real-world activities.
Through her work with CP Soccer, Dr. Dimitropoulou has helped launch an adaptive soccer camp grounded in GAME ON principles, where soccer drills are tailored to each player’s mobility needs and personal goals. Each year, the collaboration hosts a summer camp, showing how structured, real-world sports can build healthy movement skills while also strengthening confidence and social connection.
Learn more about Dr. Dimitropoulou’s approach and the impact of her work in the Columbia University Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research feature here.
