At TIRR Memorial Hermann, we understand that children are not just small adults. Pediatric and adolescent patients who have experienced life-altering injuries or illnesses have unique medical and therapeutic needs during their recovery journey. Our highly specialized pediatric physicians and clinicians are dedicated to providing exceptional care to help children make the progress they need to return to their families, schools and communities.
Major Hudlin's stroke mainly affected his right arm and leg; his therapy team at TIRR Memorial Hermann worked to get him back to being able to do the things the active little boy enjoyed.
The quality care you have come to expect from TIRR Memorial Hermann outpatient rehabilitation is now also available on an inpatient basis. Our child-focused program leads the nation with specialized care for a wide range of diagnoses and levels of need for children ages 6 months through 18 years. The new inpatient pediatric unit features kid-friendly gym space and equipment, an outdoor sports court and other resources specifically designed to accommodate the needs of our youngest patients.
TIRR Memorial Hermann is recognized as the best rehabilitation hospital in Texas, and the No. 4 rehabilitation hospital in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.
We provide a seamless transition from pediatric to adult care. When it’s time for your adolescent to transition to adult rehabilitation, they are able to stay within the TIRR Memorial Hermann system to continue their care without losing progress.
We specialize in neurological rehabilitation, with a focus on brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as rehabilitation for cancer and other illnesses. Our highly trained clinicians work with children through comprehensive therapeutic programs: rehabilitation nursing, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, neuropsychology, child life, music therapy, recreational therapy and social work services.
Our goal is to work collaboratively with parents to provide the necessary tools to transition children back to their home, back to school, and back to the lives they love.
The TIRR Memorial Hermann patient-care team includes a variety of pediatric clinicians who work together to identify the best path forward for each child. Partnering with parents and caregivers in a family-friendly environment, our team utilizes the latest technology to meet the unique needs of our young patients.
We start on the very first day. For most children, therapy begins right after the clinical evaluation, with patients up and moving in active recovery. Therapists guide patients to push themselves and give their best effort to achieve their goals, in a space designed especially for children with bright colors and engaging, interactive components.
Our pediatric program is for children ages 6 months to 18 years with a variety of diagnoses, including brain injury, spinal cord injury, neurological conditions, neuromuscular conditions and cancer.
This is not a one-size-fits-all program. Our interdisciplinary care team evaluates each child to create a plan of action tailored to meet their specific needs and goals.
Patient families are an important component of the care team during the rehabilitation process. Parents are highly involved and consult with dedicated clinicians including physicians, nurses, therapists, psychologists, social workers, school-intervention specialists and child life specialists.
The health care providers at TIRR Memorial Hermann are specially trained and uniquely qualified to work with the pediatric population. With leading-edge technology and highly specialized providers, we are able to provide a higher level of care for our pediatric patients.
Our nationally renowned program provides both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, led by specialized, dedicated care teams.
You can tell that therapy is more than a job for the staff. They're not just going through the motions. Everyone is very enthusiastic and... I know he's in good hands.
Children and adolescents in our acute inpatient rehabilitation program participate in various therapeutic services three to six hours each day, depending on their specific needs. For some patients, weekend therapy is also appropriate. Each child’s interdisciplinary care team meets on a regular basis to review their goals and progress, making necessary adjustments to provide the best possible outcomes.
In addition to rehabilitation, school services are important to children’s growth and development. Our psychologists, therapy team and child life specialists work with each child’s school to create a plan to keep up with their academic needs, with dedicated school time during their inpatient stay.
When it is time to return to school, our clinicians work with each family to determine the steps needed to make a smooth transition. We create a truly customized plan that addresses each child’s unique needs so they can feel confident going back to the classroom.
Pediatric and adolescent patients with the following diagnoses may benefit from inpatient rehabilitation:
Each pediatric care team is led by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician. Depending on the child’s specific needs and goals, we put together a team of highly trained clinical providers to work together to help the child make significant progress during therapy.
When needed, we also work with additional specialists including neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, oncologists or neurologists.
When your child suffers a severe injury or illness, choosing the right rehabilitation program can make all the difference. TIRR Memorial Hermann’s nationally renowned program provides a truly unique experience. Our highly specialized care providers, access to the latest research and technological advances, and a facility designed for children’s specialized needs means your child has the tools they need to work toward the best possible outcome.
We are here to help your child come home as soon as possible, with compassionate care and therapy that works. That’s what rehabilitation is about: restoring function and returning home.
From day one, our therapists and physicians work tirelessly to help transition children back to their regular lives. We focus on intensive, active rehabilitation to get children back to being children.
Children do not “age out” of our pediatric rehabilitation program. We are dedicated to providing consistent care for as long as each patient needs. Because TIRR Memorial Hermann offers exceptional pediatric, adolescent and adult therapeutic services, children can seamlessly progress through their rehabilitation without having to relocate to another health care system.
We build on the progress made during each stage of rehabilitation to help children mature and grow as they recover from their illness or injury. Continuity of care is central to our program.
We value each patient’s family as an important part of the process. From the very beginning, our care team works with parents and caregivers to discuss options and decide, together, the best plan of action. Throughout your child’s rehabilitation, physicians and therapists continue to collaborate with families to assess how things are going and to ensure everyone is on the right track to returning your child home.
Each TIRR Memorial Hermann therapist has advanced, extensive training to meet the specialized needs of children and adolescents. Combining exceptional therapy with unmatched care from our esteemed physicians gives your child an advantage you won’t find elsewhere.
Most patients can expect a busy schedule, with at least three hours of therapy each day, outside of their hospital room.
The day starts with children getting up and out of their rooms, wearing typical clothing and shoes. Therapy doesn’t happen in patient rooms. Children are actively engaged in our pediatric gym, working hard with therapists and challenging themselves to regain strength and function.
Our specialized care includes intensive and aggressive therapy, with compassion and encouragement along the way. When kids are dressed in their usual clothes, they are ready to be active in a more familiar setting, working to restore their sense of wellbeing.
Each child sees a pediatrician every day, including weekends, to manage any medical needs. A pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation physician will also be actively involved in their care. Parents and caregivers are able to talk with the physician team, ask questions and collaborate on the care plan.
Our care team understands that each child has needs that extend beyond daily rehabilitation. Child life specialists work with schools to make sure each child has the academic resources they need. Our case managers and social workers can coordinate post-discharge needs, including any special equipment needed and physician follow-up appointments, to ensure a seamless transition to the next level of care.
TIRR Memorial Hermann offers an interdisciplinary team approach to caring for children with limb loss throughout their lifetime. Whether limb loss is due to trauma, cancer or congenital reasons, we will create an individualized program that addresses all aspects of care for the patient and family.
One-year-old Joleigh Babineaux went from running around and playing with her sister to being lethargic and no longer walking independently within a few short weeks. Her mother knew something was wrong...
Read the StoryWhat really got me through was my faith and the support of my family and friends, my coach and teammates, the therapists in the Challenge Program, everyone.
Intensive and specialized rehabilitation services are also available to children in an outpatient setting. These children participate in an integrated, comprehensive rehabilitation program in a clinical setting.
Similar to inpatient rehabilitation, our patients undergoing outpatient rehabilitation have access to school services during their treatment. Our pediatric social worker collaborates with each child’s school to create a plan to keep up with their academic needs, with dedicated school time during their outpatient treatment.
When it is time to return to school, our clinicians work with each family to determine the steps needed to make a smooth transition. We create a truly customized plan that addresses each child’s unique needs so they can feel confident going back to the classroom.
Pediatric and adolescent patients with the following diagnoses may benefit from outpatient rehabilitation:
March 28, 2023
Fifteen-year-old Jacob Velez loves all types of music, from jazz, to classical, to rap. He is a member of his high school marching band in Brownsville, Texas, where he plays the trombone. When he had a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that ruptured, his TIRR Memorial Hermann team worked tog...
March 7, 2023
Surrounded by family and friends in October 2022, Kelli Bixler was thrilled to be hosting an event to celebrate her life. She was able to chat, eat some of her favorite foods and walk around to spend time with her loved ones. Just a year prior, she was unable to perform any of those activities du...
April 22, 2022
One-year-old Joleigh Babineaux went from running around and playing with her sister to being lethargic and no longer walking independently within a few short weeks. A diagnosis of Guillain-Barré led to customized treatment at TIRR Memorial Hermann.
September 9, 2021
When Abbi first arrived at TIRR Memorial Hermann, she had mild weakness in her legs, patchy sensation in her legs, painful numbness and tingling in her legs, and difficulty with maintaining her blood pressure when sitting and standing because of her spinal cord injury from her tumor.
May 11, 2021
Major Hudlin is a vibrant, active 7-year-old boy who loves to make TikTok videos and play outside with his siblings. So when his grandmother picked him up from daycare one day and realized that he was not lifting his right arm or moving the fingers on that hand, she became alarmed.
September 23, 2015
A couple of months shy of her fourth birthday, Natalie Fraker’s voice grew a little hoarse. An endoscopic examination by an otolaryngologist revealed a partially paralyzed vocal cord. On biopsy, it was identified as a grade II astrocytoma, a tumor that arises from the star-shaped cells that...
September 22, 2015
When Samantha Shine came to TIRR Memorial Hermann Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation at the Kirby Glen Center, the 3-year-old was still eating puréed food – very slowly – and was underweight for her age. Six months later, she eats breakfast, lunch and dinner with her family an...
August 31, 2015
Eighteen-year-old Daquan Minor, who suffered a fractured skull and a T-6 incomplete spinal cord injury in an auto accident in February 2013. Two years later, he was a key contributor to the 2015 TIRR Memorial Hermann junior Hotwheels win of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s Nationa...
October 22, 2014
In May 2012, Cory Smith, a straight-A student and star basketball player at Clear Springs High School in Houston, suffered a severe intracranial empyema, an infection that arises most commonly as a complication of sinusitis or otitis, particularly in males in later childhood, adolescence or early...
May 7, 2013
In February 2008, Tina Bailey scheduled an office visit with her son’s pediatrician when he developed croup and a bad cough. While at the doctor’s office, 22-month-old Scottie exhibited right hand curling and right shoulder drop. Bailey’s pediatrician ordered an MRI, which revea...
Services offered vary by location. Find the location nearest you for more details.
We are here to help parents navigate recovery after a life-altering injury or illness. Feeling nervous about what the future holds is normal, but the TIRR Memorial Hermann family is ready to guide you through the process every step of the way.
For more information, fill out the form below, or call (800) 44-REHAB (73422) or (713) 797-5942.
If you have questions or are looking for more information, please complete the form below and we will contact you.
For the 34th consecutive year, TIRR Memorial Hermann is recognized as the best rehabilitation hospital in Texas and No. 4 in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report's "Best Rehabilitation Hospitals" in America.
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