Kari Kretch, DPT, an assistant professor of research at the USC Division of Biokenesiology and Physical Therapy, has received special recognition for her paper titled, Learn the Signs, Act Early: Updates and Implications for Physical Therapists. Her work, published in the journal Pediatric Physical Therapy, was chosen for the Toby Long Award, which honors the best paper published in the journal in 2023.

The article provided important factual updates to the Centers for Diseases Control’s “Learn the Signs, Act Early,” a checklist developed in 2004 to help caregivers and providers determine whether a child is reaching developmental milestones in a typical age range.

While the award is meaningful to Kretch as a young researcher, it is her hope that the paper’s recognition will bring attention to these important updates for the sake of providing children with the best care possible.

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