History of the APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference

The first APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference (then known as the Section on Pediatrics Annual Conference or SOPAC) was held in Orlando, FL, in 2010. Since then, the Annual Conference (AC) has been held each year in locations across the country to bring together pediatric physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and physical therapy students, as well as those in affiliated fields. Attendees have come from around the country and more than 20 countries across the globe. In 2020 and 2021, AC was held virtually, and starting in 2022 it has been held both in person and on-demand to allow even greater participation.

The visionary behind AC was Founder and Chair (2010-2022) Cindy Miles, PT, PhD, who passed away on February 6, 2023, after a private battle with cancer. Cindy was a clinician, successful private practice owner, and educator. Among her many roles in APTA Pediatrics, Cindy served as President for two terms and was the Director of Pediatric Therapies at St Luke’s University Health Networks. Cindy encouraged us all to be forward-thinking and proactive in tackling critical issues affecting our profession and the families we serve. She felt that the promotion of health and wellness should be a primary focus for each child from day one, and defined pediatric physical therapists as lifespan movement specialists that empower the starting point to optimize lifelong meaningful participation for ALL abilities. Click here if you’d like to donate to the Cindy Miles Adaptive Fund to support building an inclusive playground in the Lehigh Valley community to honor Cindy (set up by her family). The Cindy Miles Keynote Lecture is named in her honor.

Past Locations of AC:
2010, 2012: Orlando, FL
2011, 2013, 2019: Anaheim, CA
2014: St Louis, MO
2015: Pittsburgh, PA
2016: Keystone, CO
2017: Cincinnati, OH
2018: Chattanooga, TN
2022: Portland, OR
2023: Omaha, NE