The Children’s Physical Developmental Clinic
For more than 38 years, Bridgewater State University (BSU) has sponsored the Children's Physical Developmental Clinic (CPDC), a nationally recognized academic program that fosters professional development, service learning, and leadership development. The CPDC affords students from all majors a challenging opportunity to volunteer as clinicians and work with children and youth with disabilities, ages 18 months to 18 years.
The aim of the clinic program is to improve the "total development" of children with disabilities by enhancing vital physical, motor, and aquatic skills and patterns. In addition, the program stresses the improvement of children's self-esteem by strengthening emotional-social aspects of their personalities through successful involvement in play, recreation, and sport activities.
Over one hundred students serve as clinicians and group leaders each semester, making the CPDC the largest student organization on campus. Over the years, BSU students have determined that the CPDC not only augments their professional preparation; but, upon graduation, is most critical to them when seeking employment and entrance to graduate school.