08/17/2026
💜 August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Awareness Month 💜
At Prosper Therapy Services, awareness means more than recognizing a diagnosis. It means helping families understand SMA, advocating for early access to appropriate care, and connecting families with resources and support.
What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy?
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular condition that affects motor neurons, the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. As these motor neurons are lost, individuals can experience progressive muscle weakness and decreased muscle function.
SMA can look very different from one person to another. Depending on an individual’s presentation, it may affect:
• Head and trunk control
• Sitting, standing, walking, and mobility
• Upper-extremity and fine-motor function
• Endurance and positioning
• Breathing and respiratory function
• Feeding and swallowing
• Speech and communication
• Independence with everyday activities
SMA does not affect a person’s value, potential, personality, or right to participate fully in their community.
Why early identification matters
Today, SMA is included in newborn screening programs, and treatment options have significantly changed the course of the condition for many individuals. SMA-specific treatments are most effective when they can be initiated as early as possible, including before symptoms develop in infants identified through newborn screening.
Families receiving an SMA diagnosis should be connected quickly with a neuromuscular specialist and multidisciplinary care team.
Therapy can be an important part of SMA care
Because SMA affects each individual differently, therapy should be based on the person’s current abilities, needs, comfort, goals, and participation.
Depending on the child, an interdisciplinary therapy team may address:
💜 Physical Therapy: positioning, range of motion, mobility, contracture prevention, equipment, transfers, endurance, and safe participation in movement.
💜 Occupational Therapy: independence with daily activities, upper-extremity function, positioning, energy conservation, adaptive equipment, environmental modifications, play, and participation.
💜 Speech Therapy: communication, speech production, AAC when appropriate, and strategies to support functional communication.
💜 Feeding & Swallowing: monitoring feeding efficiency, positioning, oral-motor and swallowing function, aspiration concerns, nutrition-related participation, and caregiver education in collaboration with the child’s medical team.
Therapy for a child with SMA is not simply about making muscles “stronger.” Care should prioritize function, safety, energy conservation, independence, comfort, access, and quality of life.
Resources for SMA families 💜
If you or someone you love has recently received an SMA diagnosis, you do not have to navigate the amount of information alone.
Cure SMA
One of the largest SMA-specific organizations in the United States. Cure SMA provides newly diagnosed information packets, family support, local chapters, an equipment pool, educational resources, and opportunities to connect with other SMA families.
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
Provides access to MDA Care Centers, family resources, community support groups, equipment and accessibility information, education, advocacy resources, and one-on-one assistance through the MDA Resource Center.
SMA Foundation
Provides educational information about SMA, research, standards of care, clinical trials, and additional patient and family resources.
GeneReviews: Spinal Muscular Atrophy
A more detailed medical resource for families and professionals wanting to learn about SMA genetics, diagnosis, treatment, recommended evaluations, and multidisciplinary management.
Most importantly, connect with the SMA community.
There are families, advocates, organizations, medical professionals, and therapists who understand this journey and can help families find answers, resources, equipment, support, and community.
At Prosper Therapy Services, we believe in treating the whole child, collaborating with families and medical teams, advocating for accessibility, and helping every child participate as fully and independently as possible.
This month, we proudly stand with the individuals and families impacted by SMA. 💜
Learn. Advocate. Support. Include.
Because every child deserves the opportunity to Prosper. 🐘💜
