School Accessibility and Participation in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Celina Goncalves is a physical therapist in The Duchenne Program at UMass Chan Medical School. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Simmons University in 2020 and completed a one-year fellowship at The Duchenne Program under the direction of Dr. Brenda Wong from 2021-2022. Celina joined the program following work with neuroatypical student populations in the school setting.

For Celina, the best part of working with boys and young men with Duchenne is showing them the things they can do, with some help. “I love connecting with patients and families, advising them about how they can make everything as accessible as possible and giving them the tools to interact with their friends, family and community,” she says. “Even small changes can have a meaningful impact on everyday life.”