Sarah Westcott McCoy, PT, PhD

Patient Care
Dr. McCoy’s clinical interest is the physical therapy management of children with developmental disabilities across the life span.

Research
Dr. McCoy's interests include examination and intervention for postural control dysfunction, and evaluation of the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy or developmental coordination disorder and their families.

Teaching
Dr McCoy teaches courses in pediatric physical therapy within the DPT program and will mentor   students in their research and clinical projects within the DPT and PhD programs.

Training
Dr. McCoy earned her Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from the University of Montana, and both her M.P.T. and Ph. D. in Behavioral Neurosciences from the University of Washington.

Selected Publications

Westcott SL & Burtner P.  Postural control for children: Implications for pediatric practice. Physical and Occupational Therapy for Children. 2004;24:5-55.

Westcott SL, Goulet C.  Neurological System: Structure & Function Related to Motor Control Learning, Diagnoses and Evaluation. In: Effgen S. (Ed), Meeting the Physical Therapy Needs of Children. FA Davis, Philadelphia, 2005;185-244.

O’Neil M, Fragala-Pinkham M, Westcott S, Martin K, Chiarello L, Valvano J, Rose RU. (2006) Physical therapy clinical management recommendations for children with cerebral palsy – spastic diplegia: Achieving functional mobility outcomes. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2006;18:49-72.

Bradley N, Westcott SL. Motor Control: Developmental Aspects of Motor Control in Skill Acquisition.  In: Campbell SK, Vander Linden DW, Palisano, RJ (Eds), Physical Therapy for Children, 3rd Ed. Saunders Elsevier, St Louis, 2006;77-130.

Liu WY, Zaino CA, Westcott McCoy S. Anticipatory postural adjustments in children with cerebral palsy and children with typical development during functional reaching: A center of pressure study. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2007;19:188-195.

Zaino CA, Westcott McCoy S.  Reliability and comparison of electromyographic and kinetic measurements during a standing reach task in children with and without cerebral palsy. Gait and Posture. 2008;27:128-137.