Alyssa LaForme Fiss, PT, PhD

Alyssa LaForme Fiss, PT, PhD is a Professor of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University in Dallas, Texas. Her research focuses on examining and identifying effective service delivery models to improve activity and participation in children and youth with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. She served as co-investigator in the multi-site Move & PLAY and On Track research studies examining developmental trajectories of children with cerebral palsy. She has published widely and has presented extensively at the regional, national, and international level.

• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Tests and Measures

• Jeffries L, Fiss A, Chiarello L, Feldner H. The On Track Developmental Monitoring System: Putting Research into Practice. Preconference Course Presented at: Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Annual Meeting. November 2020; Omaha, Nebraska.
• Kennedy E, Fiss A, Graham Lieberman R. Implementing an Intensive Learning Experience: Developing Team-based Competencies across Professional Disciplines for Entry-level Students. Education Session Presented at: Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Annual Meeting. November 2020; Omaha, Nebraska.
  
• Fiss A, LaForme G. The ABCs of Effective Intervention with Challenging Behaviors. Education Session Presented at: Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Annual Meeting. November 2020; Omaha, Nebraska.
• Nagridge CO, Hillegass EA, Fiss AL, Ramsey SC. The Effect of a Cardiovascular & Pulmonary (CVP) Residency on a Physical Therapist’s Practice in the Intensive Care Unit. American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, February, 2020; Denver, CO.
• Fiss AL, Wynarczuk K, Rapport MJ, Gagnon K, Kendall E, Schreiber J. Experiential Learning in Pediatric PT Education: A Faculty Survey.  American Physical Therapy Association, Combined Sections Meeting, February, 2020; Denver, CO.
• Looper J, Fiss AL, Johnson BK. Down syndrome: what do we do and what do we know? Education session presented at: APTA Combined Sections Meeting. January 2020; Denver, CO.
• Feldner H, Fiss A, Jeffries L, McCoy S. Strategies for implementing On Track-DMS: a novel pediatric developmental monitoring system. CoHSTAR Implementation Science Research Institute. May 2019; Providence, Rhode Island.
• Fiss AL, Gannotti M, Bailes A. Big data: Burden or Joy? Education session presented at:  APTA Combined Sections Meeting. January, 2019; Washington DC.
• Fiss AL, Battaile B. Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy’s new professional’s boot camp. Education session presented at:  Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Annual Conference. November, 2018; Chattanooga, Ohio.
• Dannemiller L, Fiss AL, Looper J, Martin K, Wendland M, McCoy S. Movement system diagnosis applied to pediatric practice. Education session presented at:  Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Annual Conference. November, 2018; Chattanooga, Ohio.
• Lieberman-Betz R, Brown J, Vail C, Kennedy E, Long S, Fiss A. Developing an interdisciplinary preparation program for practitioners serving children with complex needs. Education session presented at: Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference. October, 2018; Orlando, Florida.
• Fiss AL, Jeffries L. Collaborative developmental monitoring to provide optimal individualized services for children with cerebral palsy: The On Track Developmental Monitoring System. 2018 Southeastern Pediatric Research Conference. June, 2018; Atlanta, Georgia.
• Jeffries L, Fiss AL, McCoy SW.  Monitoring impairments in children with cerebral palsy.  Poster presented at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Pediatric Research Day.  March, 2018; Norman, Oklahoma.
• Jeffries L, Fiss AL, McCoy SW.  Monitoring change over time of impairments in children with cerebral palsy.  Education Session at: Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy. February, 2018; New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Fiss AL, McCoy SW, Chiarello L. Adaptive behavior and mastery motivation in children with cerebral palsy. Education Session at: Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy; February, 2018; New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Kerfeld C, Wentz E, Cicirello N, Fiss AL, Bjornson K. Parents’ perceptions of environmental supports and resources for participation of children with cerebral palsy. Poster presented at: Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy; February, 2018; New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Wentz E, Kerfeld C, Cicirello N, Fiss AL, Bjornson K. Physical activity and walking performance in children with cerebral palsy.  Poster presented at: Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy; February, 2018; New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Lundeen H, Moerchen V, Catalino T, Fiss ACL, Dannemiller L.  What we’ve done and where we’re going: education summit ii and the journey toward excellence in pediatric physical therapy education. Education Session presented at American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapists Annual Conference. November, 2017; Cincinnati, Ohio.

• Johnson B, Looper J, Fiss AL. Current trends in pediatric physical therapy practice for children with Down syndrome. Pediatr Phys Ther. In review (Contributing Author)
• Lent K, Fiss AL, McCoy S. Racial disparities in physical therapy and community program services in children with cerebral palsy. Journal of Child Neurology. In review. (Contributing Author)
• Teare-Ketter A, Fiss AL, Ebert J. 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. In press. (Contributing Author)
• Wentz E, Kerfeld C, Cicerello N, Bjornson K, Fiss AL. Walking, physical activity performance, and validity of the Early Activity Scale for Endurance in young children with cerebral palsy. Phys Occupat Ther Pediatr. 2020. Epub ahead of print. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080.09142638.2020.1720055. Accessed: March 19, 2020. (Contributing Author)
• Jeffries L, Fiss AL, McCoy S, Avery L. Longitudinal change in common body function/structure impairments and services in children with cerebral palsy from age 1.5 to 11 years. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2020;32:45-50. (Contributing Author)
• Schreiber J, Gagnon K, Kendall E, Fiss A, Rapport M, Wynarczuk K. Development of a grading rubric to assess learning in pediatric physical therapy education. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2020;32(1):70-79. (Contributing Author)
• McCoy SW, Palisano RJ, Avery L, Jeffries L, Fiss AL, Hanna S. Physical, occupational and speech therapy for children with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2020;62(1):140-146. (Contributing Author)
• McCoy SW, Bartlett D, Palisano RJ, Chiarello L, Jeffries L, Fiss AL, et al. 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. Available at: https://doi.org/10.25302/8.2019.CE.12115321. (Contributing Author)
• Bjornson K, Fiss AL, Avery L, Wentz E, Kerfeld C, Cicerello N. Longitudinal trajectories of physical activity and walking performance by Gross Motor Function Classification System level for children with cerebral palsy. Disabil Rehabil. 2019;7:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1534995. (Contributing Author)
• Fiss AL, Jeffries L, Bjornson K, Avery L, Hanna S, McCoy SW. Developmental trajectories and percentile graphs for the 6-minute walk test for children with cerebral palsy. Pediatric Phys Ther. 2019;31(1):51-59. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000552. (Primary Author)
• Fiss AL, Jeffries L, Yocum A, McCoy SW. Validity of the Early Activity Scale for Endurance and the Six-Minute Walk Test for children with cerebral palsy. Pediatric Phys Ther. 2019;31(2):156-163. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000577. (Primary Author) *Awarded the Toby Long award for the best paper published in Pediatric Physical Therapy in 2019.
• Jeffries L, Fiss AL, McCoy SW, Bartlett DJ. Developmental trajectories and reference percentiles for range of motion, endurance, and muscle strength of children with cerebral palsy. Phys Ther. 2019;99(3):329-338. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzy160. (Contributing Author)
• Fiss AL, McCoy SW, Bartlett D, Avery L, Hannah S. Developmental trajectories of the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance for children with cerebral palsy. Phys Ther. 2019;99(2):217-228. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzy132. (Primary Author)
• Chiarello LA, Bartlett D, Palisano R, McCoy S, Jeffries L, Fiss A, Wilk, P. Determinants of playfulness of children with cerebral palsy. Dev Neurorehabil. 2019;22(4):240-249. doi: 10.1080/17518423.2018.1471623. (Contributing Author)