Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA, Types 1 and 2)
Respiratory vulnerability makes home the safest setting.
Educational reference only. The clinical considerations described on this page are educational summaries drawn solely from publicly available materials, including the linked advocacy organizations and the peer-reviewed literature. They are not a standard of care. They are not a substitute for the judgment of a licensed clinician evaluating the individual patient. Bridgepoint Therapies is a platform. It does not diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.
Why this page exists
Spinal Muscular Atrophy presents profound neuromuscular weakness and highly critical airway clearance needs. Conveying medically fragile infants and children to outpatient centers exposes them to significant respiratory pathogens. Bridgepoint is scoping clinical guidelines so in-home therapists are prepared to support daily postural and chest physiotherapy needs safely.
Clinical Scopes
Clinical considerations by discipline
Physical Therapy
Airway clearance and chest physical therapy. Scoliosis and postural monitoring. Weight bearing via standing frames within tolerance. The respiratory piece is not optional. It is often the piece that keeps the child at home instead of in the hospital.
Occupational Therapy
Micro-switch access. Lightweight dynamic arm supports. Hand function preservation for school, play, or work. Adaptive feeding setup that respects both the patient's motor limits and the family's daily routine.
Speech Therapy
Bulbar muscle preservation. Safe swallow protocols. Early AAC.
Delivery Frameworks
Care delivery fit
In the home or facility
Mobile in-home care allows chest PT, seating adjustments, and adaptive feeding work in the resident's own bed or wheelchair.
Virtual / Telehealth
Telehealth supports monitoring of respiratory routines, motor function scale tracking, and AAC practice.
Resources and Continuing Education
Learn More
Cure SMA funds research, supports families, and works to improve care for all individuals affected by spinal muscular atrophy.
Continuing Education
There is no single accredited CEU curriculum for rehab therapy in SMA. Start with clinical references and advocacy recommendations. Pair that with condition-specific reading in peer-reviewed journals and, where possible, direct mentorship from a clinician with hands-on experience. Bridgepoint is building a mentorship model around exactly this gap. If you are a therapist with experience and open to mentoring other independent therapists on the platform, please reach out.
Where We Are Today
Bridgepoint has not yet taken its initial referral for SMA. This page is public because we want to build our SMA routing standards, our therapist credentialing checklist, and our initial co-branded caregiver resources together with Cure SMA and the clinicians who already do this work. If you are one of those clinicians, please tell us what "prepared" should mean before we match a therapist to a patient on the platform.
Building a SMA-ready therapist network is the whole point.
If you are a therapist, a clinician mentor, an advocacy organization, or a family with lived experience, we want your input on what preparedness should look like.
Educational content, not medical advice. Third-party links are provided for reference and do not imply endorsement or partnership unless explicitly stated. Continuing education credit is determined solely by the third-party provider. If you or someone you love has a medical emergency, call your local emergency number.