What is Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy improves a child's gross motor functioning and focuses on improving a child's strength, balance, and coordination with gross motor movements. Therapy works towards a child developing age appropriate motor skills or a functional motor skill level to interact with his or her everyday environment.
Therapy also retrains the brain on how to control motor movements. Physical Therapists
can recommend and fit a child for adaptive equipment such as, othrotics/prosthetics, standers, walkers, canes, strollers, wheelchairs, specialized seating, and bath systems. A
Physical Therapist also uses manual skills such as massaging, craniosacral therapy, joint mobilizations, and manual traction to decrease pain and spasms in the muscles.
Gross Motor Skills:
- running
- jumping
- walking
- going up or down stairs
- crawling
- rolling over
- sitting
- rolling a ball
What is a Physical Therapy Evaluation?
Our Physical Therapists conduct a one-on-one play based assessment with the child, and caregivers. Our
Physical Therapists will evaluate your child's muscle range of motion, strength, mobility, muscle tone, and gross motor skills. This evaluation will be hands on using a
variety of tests to help establish your child's gross motor function. Bilingual evaluations in Spanish and English are available upon request.
How do I know if my child needs a Physical Therapy Evaluation?
If your child has one or the following red flags regarding gross motor development.
If your child is diagnosed with one of the following disorders and/ or demonstrates delays in gross motor development:
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cognitive Delays
- Congenital Defects
- Down's Syndrome
- Genetic Syndromes
- Hip Dysplasia
- Neuromuscular Diseases
- Pediatric Physical Therapy Disorders
- Scoliosis
- Spina Bifida
- Torticollis
If your child loses gross motor function due to a sports injury, stroke or other orthopedic needs.
How do I get started?
Call our office to schedule an appointment. We take many insurances and private pay options. A referral from you Primary Care Physician/ Pediatrician may be needed for your child's evaluation to be completed. Download our pediatric case history form or bilingual pediatric case history form and bring with you to your appointment.
The Physical Therapy Evaluation will take approximately one hour to complete. Assessments will be administered to determine your child's current level of functioning. Results from the assessment will be reviewed at the end of the evaluation with recommendations for treatment.
The Physical Therapist will write the evaluation and submit to your insurance company for authorization. A copy of the evaluation will be mailed or emailed to you directly. Once insurance authorization has been obtained, you will be contacted by one of our Physical Therapists to schedule your first appointment.
Our Pediatric Physical Therapy Services
Our Physical Therapy services are provided by a masters level and licensed
Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants with specialized training
in working with the pediatric and adolescent population.
Our Physical Therapists are trained in the following specialized programs which include but are not limited to:
- Craniosacral Therapy
- Consults for casting, splinting, and orthotics
- Early Steps Services
- Specialized Scoliosis Home Exercise Programs
Therapy will be conducted based on the frequency determined during your child's evaluation. Weekly therapy sessions are designed around an individualized plan of care to enhance your child's skills or to prevent injury/
Therapy will address your child's individualized needs and can be conducted in one of our area clinics, in your home or your child's daycare through our involvement in the Early Steps Program, at your child's preschool or school. (Determination of therapy location maybe made based on your insurance and availability in therapists schedule.). Detailed
home exercise programs are available to incorporate therapy techniques into the home and community settings.
Physical Therapy Developmental Motor Skill Checklist
0-2 months:
- Able to lie on their stomach for short periods of time holding their head up to 45 degrees
- Able to roll from their back to either their right or left side
3-5 months:
- Holds head in line with their body in supported sit
- Sits with hand support
- Brings hands to midline when on their back
- Kicking legs out one at a time
6-8 months:
- Rolls from back to stomach and vice-versa
- Sits independently
9-11 months:
- Transitions from lying down to sitting using arms
- Assumes hand and knee position
- Begins to crawl on hands and knees (backwards first)
12-15 months:
- Pulls to stand at furniture
- Cruises while holding onto furniture
- Stands alone
- Walks on flat surfaces
15-18 months:
- Creeps on hands and knees up and down steps
- Rolls and throws a ball
- Walks into a large ball to kick it
- Gets on and off push toys (may move them backwards at first)
- Gets up from the floor using hands to assist
19-24 months:
- Walks up and down a few stairs with assistance
- Jumps off ground with two feet
- Begins to run
- Walks over all surfaces without frequent loss of balance
3 years:
- Catches a ball with two hands
- Walks up and down stairs independently (two feet on each step)
- Jumps off bottom step
- Jumps over small objects
- Pedals a tricycle or ride on bike
4 years:
- Hops on one foot
- Goes up and down stairs with one foot on each step (using handrail)
- Begins to play simple gross motor games easily (3 step directions)
5 years:
- Bounces and catches a ball
- Skips
- Gallops
- Follows a 4-5 step gross motor sequence
- Rides two wheel bike with no training wheels
- "Floppy or Doughy" feel to muscles
- Excessively tight muscles: difficult for child to move arms or legs
- Arches back often, even when not mad
- Walks on tippy toes often
- Trips or falls often; clumsy
- Not wanting to lie on their stomach as an infant