Alyssa LaForme Fiss, P.T., Ph.D.

Contact

afiss@twu.edu
214-689-7714
DAL

Biography

Dr. Alyssa LaForme Fiss is a physical therapist and Board-Certified Pediatrics Clinical Specialist. She serves as the Director of the School of Physical Therapy. She is an International Collaborator of CanChild, participating in research collaborations to advance pediatric disability research. She served as a co-investigator on the international, multi-site, On Track research study, examining developmental trajectories for primary and secondary impairments, health conditions, performance of self-care, and participation for children with cerebral palsy. Her current research interests include examining interventions to support adaptive behavior in children with disabilities as well as examining strategies to promote participation for children in disabilities. She has published widely and has presented her research at the regional, national, and international level. She is also the co-editor of the Third Edition of the pediatric physical textbook, “Meeting the Physical Therapy Needs of Children.”

Education

Ph.D., Rehabilitation Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
M.P.T., Master of Physical Therapy, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio
B.A./B.S., Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Professions, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Research Interests

Pediatrics; Cerebral Palsy; Down Syndrome; Child Development; Adaptive Behavior; Developmental Trajectories; Service Delivery Models

Latest Articles

Informing Clinical Practice Guidelines for Children and Youth with Down Syndrome: Surveying Key Partners
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2023)
Erin Wentz, Ashley Conklin, Kathy Martin, Julia Looper, Nora Shields

Embedding Play to Enrich Physical Therapy
Behavioral Sciences (2023)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Ragnhild Barclay Håkstad, Julia Looper, Silvana Pereira, Barbara Sargent

Translation, Reliability and Validity of the Brazilian-Portuguese Version of the Early Activity Scale for Endurance (EASE)
Disability and Rehabilitation (2023)
Angélica Cristina Sousa Fonseca Romeros, Ricardo Souza Junior, Deisiane Souto, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Mariana Aguiar de Matos

Adaptive Behavior and Mastery Motivation in Chidlren with Physical Disabilities
Physiotherapy Theory and Practice: An International Journal of Physical Therapy (2023)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Lisa A Chiarello, Lin-Ya Hsu, Sarah Westcott McCoy

Implementation of an Interprofessional Training to Support Pre-Service Providers' Team-Based Collaboration in the Early Intervention Setting
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools (2023)
Rebecca Lieberman-Betz, Sarah Wiegand, Jennifer Brown, Cynthia Vail, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Clinical Bottom Line: 'The Journey: Parental Expectations and Perceptions of Therapy Services for Children with Down Syndrome'
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2022)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Courtney Ebert

Understanding acceptability, barriers, and facilitators to clinical implementation of the On Track Developmental Monitoring System for children with cerebral palsy
Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics: A Quarterly Journal of Developmental Therapy (2022)
Heather Feldner, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Lynn Jeffries, Sarah Westcott Mccoy

The how and the why of including children: Experiential learning in teaching physical therapy students.
Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association (2022)
Kimberly Wynarczuk, Kendra Gagnon, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Joseph Schreiber

The utility of neuromotor retraining to augment manual therapy and vestibular rehabilitation in a patient with post-concussion syndrome: A case report
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy (2021)
A Teare-Ketter, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, J Elbert

Current trends in pediatric physical therapy practice for children with Down syndrome.
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2021)
Rebekah Johnson, Julia Looper, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Experiential Learning in Entry-Level Pediatric Physical Therapy Education
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2021)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Mary Jane Rapport, Kendra Gagnon, Kimberly Wynarczuk, Eydie Kendall

Experiential learning in pediatric physical therapist education: Challenges and facilitators
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2021)
Kimberly Wynarczak, Kendra Gagnon, Joseph Schreiber, Mary Jane Rapport, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Steps to revising the APTA Pediatrics Research Agenda
Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association (2021)
A Bhat, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, M E O'Neil, J K Sansom, J C Heathcock

Examination of the effects of age, sex, and motor ability level on balance capabilities in children with cerebral palsy GMFCS levels I, II, III and typical development using the Pediatric Balance Scale
Developmental Neurorehabilitation (2021)
Mary Rose Franjoine, Nancy Sue Darr, Brenda Young, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Sarah Westcott McCoy

Walking, physical activity performance, and validity of the Early Activity Scale for Endurance in young children with cerebral palsy.
Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics: A Quarterly Journal of Developmental Therapy (2020)
Erin E Wentz, Cheryl Kerfeld, Nancy Cicerello, Kristie Bjornson, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Physical, occupational and speech therapy for children with cerebral palsy
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology (2020)
SW McCoy, RJ Palisano, L Avery, L Jeffries, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Development of a grading rubric to assess learning in pediatric physical therapy education.
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2020)
J Schreiber, K Gagnon, E Kendall, Alyssa C LaForme Fiss, M Rapport

Longitudinal change in common body function/structure impairments and services in children with cerebral palsy from age 1.5 to 11 years.
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2020)
L Jeffries, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, S McCoy, L Avery

Determinants of playfulness of children with cerebral palsy
Developmental Neurorehabilitation (2019)
LA Chiarello, D Bartlett, R Palisano, S McCoy, L Jeffries

Understanding the development of children with cerebral palsy and how therapy may affect patient-centered outcomes. Washington, DC
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) (2019)
SW McCoy, D Bartlett, RJ Chiarello, RJ Palisano, L Jeffries

Longitudinal trajectories of physical activity and walking performance by Gross Motor Function Classification System level for children with cerebral palsy.
Disability and Rehabilitation (2019)
K Bjornson, Alyssa C LaForme Fiss, L Avery, E Wentz, C Kerfeld

Developmental trajectories of the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance for children with cerebral palsy
Physical Therapy (2019)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, SW McCoy, D Bartlett, L Avery, S Hanna

Developmental trajectories and reference percentiles for range of motion, endurance, and muscle strength of children with cerebral palsy
Physical Therapy (2019)
L Jeffries, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, SW McCoy, DJ Bartlett

Validity of the Early Activity Scale for Endurance and the Six-Minute Walk Test for children with cerebral palsy. *Awarded the Toby Long award for the best paper published in Pediatric Physical Therapy in 2019.
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2019)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, L Jeffries, A Yocum, SW McCoy

Developmental trajectories and percentile graphs for the 6-minute walk test for children with cerebral palsy
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2019)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, L Jeffries, K Bjornson, L Avery, S Hanna

On Track Study Team.* A collaborative approach to decision making through developmental monitoring to provide individualized services for children with cerebral palsy
Physical Therapy (2018)
DJ Bartlett, SW McCoy, LA Chiarello, L Avery, G Galuppi

Cerebral palsy
PTNow (2017)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, D Benoche

Determinants of participation in family and recreational activities of young children with cerebral palsy
Disability and Rehabilitation (2016)
L Chiarello, DJ Bartlett, R Palisano, S Westcott McCoy, A Laforme Fiss

Description of primary and secondary impairments in young children with cerebral palsy. *Awarded the Toby Long award for the best paper published in Pediatric Physical Therapy in 2016.
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2016)
L Jeffries, Alyssa C LaForme Fiss, S McCoy, D Bartlett

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF): Focusing on the Environment
DEC Recommended Practice Monographs (2016)
Lynn Jeffries, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Commentary on 'Maximal respiratory pressures of healthy children: compairson between obtained and predicted values'
Pediatric Physical Therapy (2015)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, E Hillegass

Books

(Ed.) Meeting the Physical Therapy Needs of Children (3rd Ed.)
F.A.Davis (2020)
SK Effgen, Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss

Chapters

The On Track Developmental Monitoring System for Children with Cerebral Palsy
in A Clinical Guide to Cerebral Palsy | Nova Publishers (2022)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, Sarah Westcott McCoy

Early intervention (0-3) services for young children with cerebral palsy.
in Cerebral palsy, Second Edition. | Springer (2018)
Alyssa C. LaForme Fiss, L Jeffries

Current Projects

Dr. Alyssa LaForme Fiss's current research aims to examine the effectiveness of body-weight supported play for young children with Down syndrome. This collaborative project with the University of Washington and the University of Puget Sound is funded through the APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy.

Fiss is also currently pursuing funding with researchers from multiple institutions to investigate an integrated learning approach with family engagement for preschoolers with disabilities. This project aims to develop and test this integrated learning approach and its effectiveness to enhance adaptive behavior for school readiness.

Fiss is also investigating the expansion of the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance to improve its relevance and responsiveness for assessing balance in children with cerebral palsy in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I and II. This collaborative project with the University of Oklahoma will facilitate the expansion of the On Track Developmental Monitoring System to adolescents with cerebral palsy.

Externally Funded Projects

Physical therapy management of infants, children, and youth with Down Syndrome: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline.
American Physical Therapy Association | $9,825.00 | 2024
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Effect of Rehabilitation Interventions that Embed Play on Motor, Cognitive, Language, and Behavioral Development in Young Children with or at Risk for Motor Delays. Year 1 of 1
American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy | 2023
Role: Collaborator

Partial body weight support play environment to encourage upright mobility and exploration in infants with Down syndrome
Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy | $30,000.00 | 2021
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Estimation of intervention effectiveness to improve adaptive behavior in infants with cerebral palsy: a pilot study.
Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. Pediatric Research Grant. | $40,000.00 | 2021
Role: Principal Investigator

Gaining insight and understanding of experiential learning in pediatric PT education
Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy. | $9,765.00 | 2019
Role: Principal Investigator

Focus groups to disseminate the On Track Developmental Monitoring System.
Subcontract with Western University (Canadian Institutes of Health Research). | $17,500.00 | 2018
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Validity and reliability of an expanded version of the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance.
Grant funded by Mercer University Seed Grant Program. | $3,996.00 | 2018
Role: Principal Investigator

Professional Affiliations

• American Physical Therapy Association. Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy
• International Organization of Physical Therapists in Paediatrics
• International Society of Early Intervention, Active member
• Texas Physical Therapy Association