Fatih Erol, Physiotherapist

Fatih Erol is a physiotherapist specializing in pediatric rehabilitation with 15 years of experience. He sees patients at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul, Türkiye, where he works within the Pediatrics unit. His clinical practice centers on feeding and swallowing disorders in children, oral motor assessment and therapy, sensory integration, developmental screening, lower-extremity orthotic applications and cerebral palsy rehabilitation.

Fatih Erol studied Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Acıbadem University from 2011 to 2015 and joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2015. He completed a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Biruni University in 2020. His postgraduate training includes Ayres Sensory Integration training with CLASI in 2018, the Denver II Developmental Screening Test with the Developmental Child Neurology Association in 2019, Beckman Oral Motor Assessment Therapy with MS, CCC-SLP Debra Beckman in 2020, a course on lower extremity orthosis applications in cerebral palsy in 2020, and VitalStim/DINES therapy for electrotherapy treatment in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders in 2023.

Clinical focus

A central part of Fatih Erol’s work is the assessment and rehabilitation of pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. This includes oral motor assessment and therapy based on the Beckman approach, feeding and swallowing rehabilitation, and electrotherapy for feeding and swallowing difficulties in children, for which he has completed VitalStim/DINES training. The choice of approach depends on the individual child’s presentation and on the findings of the initial assessment.

He also works in cerebral palsy rehabilitation, including lower-extremity orthotic applications, and in sensory integration therapy following the Ayres approach. Developmental screening is another area of his practice; he is trained in the Denver II developmental screening test, which is used to assess a child’s development across several domains. Screening results are interpreted in the context of the child’s history and, where relevant, shared with the treating pediatric team.

How Fatih Erol works with international patients

Fatih Erol speaks Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for families who need another language. Before a visit, the international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, arranges appointments and organises the hospital stay. A first consultation typically covers the child’s history and symptoms, a review of existing reports and previous treatments, a clinical assessment and a discussion of possible rehabilitation options. Video consultation is available for international patients, which allows parents to discuss their child’s situation with Fatih Erol before deciding whether to travel.