McMains Children's Developmental Center: About McMains

McMains Childrens Developmental Center

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About McMains

The McMains Childrens Developmental Center began serving children with cerebral palsy in 1954. The legal name of the Center is the Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Baton Rouge, Inc. The Center was renamed the McMains Children's Developmental Center to honor Dr. Frank McMains who volunteered his orthopedic medical services to the children for over 33 years. Today the center helps children in the Greater Baton Rouge area with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities such as sensory processing disorders, severe speech and learning disabilities, AD/HD, and autism. The areas served by the McMains Center include the parishes of East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Ascension, Assumption, St. James, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, Livingston, Iberville, and Point Coupee.

Staff members and volunteers assist families and individuals to reach the goal of independence, helping children with disabilities achieve what everyone wants to live, work and play independently.

Your Support Makes Us Possible

The services offered by our center are provided on a sliding-scale basis. No child is turned away from our center because of an inability to pay for care. This is possible, in part by our affiliations with the United Way and United Cerebral Palsy. But the most important reason for our existence is the continued support from people like you.

We have a number of easy ways for you to support the children of McMains. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our programs. And please, tell a friend about us.

Together we are making a difference

The Center is a community partner of the Junior League of Baton Rouge.

Wheels to Succeed

The Tiger Cycling Foundation and Royal Purple Racing have partnered with the McMains Children?s Developmental Center for a new program called ?Wheels to Succeed.? This program will be an ongoing fundraising event in which the proceeds will go towards purchasing adapted three wheeled bikes for children with physical disabilities that receive therapy at the Center.

Children with disabilities often miss out on social and physical activities that most of us take for granted, like riding a bike. With the use of adapted three wheeled bikes children who aren?t even able to walk have the opportunity to ride a bike with their peers and family members. The therapists at McMains Children?s Developmental Center see children take their first ride everyday at the clinic, and it is amazing! The thrill of seeing children?s huge grins when they get on an adapted bike for the first time and realize they can actually ride is priceless.

Not only is riding a bike a fun activity for all children, it offers significant health benefits for children with disabilities:

Physical Activity ? Increases gross motor control while strengthening and maintaining range of motion through extremities.
Cycling movement is similar to walking, facilitating the hip, knee, and ankle to extend.
Exercise ? Aerobic capacity and endurance increase.
Health ? Ventilation and respiration are improved.
Social Skills ? Creates a lifetime leisure activity with health and self-esteem benefits.

Costing from $2500-$4000, these bikes are not easy for a family to obtain. It is important for every child to have the opportunity to ride a bike on a daily basis at home for the social and health benefits, not to mention it is FUN! Join us on our quest to provide a bike for all kids with disabilities and make dreams come true. More details at www.wheelstosucceed.org. Please contact us at or 923-3420 for more information.

Therasuit Method

The TheraSuit method is an intensive physical therapy program designed by Polish born physical therapists whose daughter was born with cerebral palsy. The TheraSuit Method accelerates functional progress for children with neurological, motor, and sensory disorders. After learning about this method several years ago, it was a goal of ours to add this type of therapy.

Two physical therapists from the Center, Ashley Knecht Leach and Mandy Langlois brought this goal to fruition when they attended a 5 day course on the TheraSuit Method in Keego Harbor, Michigan. They were trained and certified by world renowned cerebral palsy specialist, Isabela Koscielny, thanks to a grant received in 2007.

We offered Therasuit last summer, and will do so again this summer. Interested parents should contact the Center for details as our openings are limited.

Please contact us at or call 923-3240 for more information.

Madeline Moreau with physical therapist Ashley Leach.

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