Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Robotic Gait Training and Gait-focused Physical Therapy Programs for Children and Youth With Cerebral Palsy: A Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial

This is a prospective, multi-centre, concurrent mixed methods study comprised of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and an interpretive descriptive qualitative design. The goal of the RCT is to compare: 1) a walking training program with the Lokomat robotic device (LOK), 2) a functional physical therapy program (fPT) that includes activities to enhance balance/co-ordination/endurance and advanced motor skills conducted over 'real ground', 3) a combined Lokomat + functional physical therapy (LOK+fPT) program, and 4) a regular maintenance therapy condition (CONT). The qualitative part of the study will consist of interviews of children and parents after they have finished the study intervention.