Developers
Dr. Mary Rose Franjoine, Professor Emerita Daemen University Amherst, New York is the co-developer of the PBS. Her recent retirement from her full-time academic position has allowed her to expand her clinical practice as a PT in Western New York, to focus on the ongoing development and refinement of the PBS-2 and to support ongoing research into the fidelity of the Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) practice theory for the clinical management of individuals living with Cerebral Palsy and other developmental-based challenges of posture and movement.
In addition to the PBS, Dr. Franjoine’s professional accomplishments include recognition by the Neuro-Developmental Treatment Association™ (NDTA™) as a Pediatric Physical Therapy Instructor (1999) and as a Coordinator-Instructor in 2006. She has also been recognized by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS) as a Pediatric Clinical Specialist (1995).
Dr. Franjoine has continued to maintain active status/certification by both NDTA™ and ABPTS. Dr. Franjoine continues to share her expertise with others through presentations at national and international conferences, as well as, presentation of continuing education courses.
Dr. Nancy Darr joined the Belmont University School of Physical Therapy faculty in 1998 after earning a DSc from Loma Linda University, a MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California, and a BA in Zoology and Psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University. She has had over 30 years of clinical and teaching experience in in pediatrics and adult neurological rehabilitation. Nancy’s research interests include development of gait and postural control in children, assistive technology for children with mobility challenges, and instructional pedagogy and assessment.
In 2003 she developed a research partnership with Dr. Mary Rose Franjoine, and they were awarded a grant by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Section on Pediatrics to support the ongoing development of the Pediatric Balance Scale. Their work has resulted in numerous publications and presentations on the psychometric properties of the PBS, as well as, typical performance profiles for the PBS and for selected motor skills contained in the PBS in children with typical development and in children with known balance dysfunction.
Nancy maintains an active clinical practice. She has been recognized by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists as a Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy since 1994 and was recertified in 2004 and 2014. Nancy is also a member of the NDTA Research Committee.