A Hands-On Course for Clinicians
A live, in-person course from Spaulding Rehabilitation
Saturday, June 13th, 2026
Held at Spaulding Rehabilitation Boston
8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (4.00 CEU Contact Hours)
Scroll Down to Register Now: Seating Limited
This comprehensive, hands-on course combines beginner, intermediate, and advanced manual wheelchair skills into a single, immersive learning experience. Participants will gain both the technical competency and instructional confidence needed to teach and safely guard individuals with spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions across a wide spectrum of real-world environments.
The course builds progressively from foundational propulsion and indoor maneuvering skills to dynamic outdoor and community challenges including curbs of varying heights, ramps in wheelies, uneven terrain, stairs, and wheelchair recovery. Emphasis is placed not only on skill execution, but on evidence-based cueing strategies and safe guarding techniques that clinicians can immediately apply in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings.
Continuing Education Credits Anticipated: APTA (PT), AOTA (OT), BOC (AT)
Pricing
MGB Employees: $35.00
Non-MGB Employees:
Early Bird Rate (until May 1st): $100.00
Standard Rate: $140.00
MGB Staff can access the coupon code here: COUPON CODE
Learning Outcomes
Following this course, participants will be able to:
- Perform all reviewed beginner, intermediate, and advanced wheelchair skills with proper technique and form.
- Demonstrate safe and appropriate guarding strategies when supervising individuals learning any of the covered wheelchair skills across all skill levels.
- Effectively instruct patients and caregivers on how to execute each wheelchair skill using evidence-based verbal cueing, sequencing, and demonstration techniques.
- Identify key safety considerations and environmental factors relevant to community wheelchair use, including uneven terrain, curbs, ramps, and stairs.
The course will be held at:
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
300 1st Avenue
Charlestown, MA 02129
Get Directions
A discounted parking rate of $8.00 is available at the Building 199 Parking Garage for any attendees who do not work at Spaulding Charlestown. Building 199 is located at 199 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129.
Caitlin Haggan, PT, DPT, TCRG is an Advanced Clinician Physical Therapist as a Network Float for the inpatient Spaulding Rehabilitation facilities in Charlestown, Cambridge, Brighton, Cape Cod, and Salem. Caitlin has a variety of experiences in various inpatient settings (LTAC, IRF, SNF, Acute Care) with a strong passion in working with Spinal Cord Injury and Neurological patient populations. Caitlin is also a Lab Instructor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions where she takes part in the Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury courses. Caitlin is also a certified Irish Dance Instructor.
Violeta Almarales, PT, DPT is a physical therapist who has been practicing at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s SCI Unit. She co-leads the wheelchair skills class to SRH patients in Charlestown. In addition, Violeta is particularly interested in advanced wheelchair skills and maximizing patients’ independence post-SCI within the community.
Alternate Instructors: Kinley McCracken, PT, DPT; Kelsey Lanman, OTR/L; Ashley Cataldo, CTRS
Target Audience: Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists
Instructional Level: Introductory
Prerequisites: None
Course Completion Requirements: Attendance at the full session (partial credit is not available), completion of the post-course learning outcome assessment with passing score, completion of the post-course evaluation, and completion of the certificate request form.
Cancellation Policy: Spaulding Rehabilitation (SR) reserves the right to adjust components of this program or to cancel the program for unexpected occurrences. Notice of changes or cancellation will be provided expediently. Upon cancellation of a course, a refund for the price paid for the course will be given. A processing fee of $10 may be charged when the registrant provides written notice of cancellation of their attendance less than 7 business days prior to the program date. Tuition is non-refundable if the registrant does not provide notice of cancellation at least 7 days prior to the program date. SR apologizes but will not be responsible for inconveniences incurred due to program changes.
Speaker Disclosures: Caitlin Haggan is a salaried employee of MGB and has no other financial or non-financial disclosures to share. Violeta Almarales is a salaried employee of MGB and has no other financial or non-financial disclosures to share. Kinley McCracken is a salaried employee of MGB and has no other financial or non-financial disclosures to share. Kelsey Lanman is a salaried employee of MGB and has no other financial or non-financial disclosures to share. Ashley Cataldo is a salaried employee of MGB and has no other financial or non-financial disclosures to share.
Spaulding Rehabilitation is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID# [pending]. This Live course is offered at 0.40 CEUs, Introductory level, OT Service Delivery and Foundational Knowledge categories pending approval. AOTA does not endorse specific course content, products, or clinical procedures.
Spaulding Rehabilitation is recognized as an APTA MA Approved Provider. Information provided should be used within the scope of practice. Even though the APTA MA approval process is in line with criteria for most other states, APTA MA cannot guarantee CEU/CCP approval for use in other states/disciplines, and it is the responsibility of the attendee to verify approval within their own state. This course is offered for 4.00 contact hours/points (1 point = 60 minutes).
