Physical Therapy

Can your child benefit from PT? Your child may need a physical therapy evaluation if he or she is diagnosed with one of the disorders mentioned above, is not meeting age-based gross motor milestones, or demonstrates one of the following red flags regarding gross motor development:

• Floppy or “doughy” feel to muscles
• Excessively tight muscles: difficult for child to move arms or legs
• Arches back often, even when not angry
• Walks on tippy toes often
• Trips or falls often; clumsy
• Not wanting to lie on their stomach as an infant

An evaluation is a comprehensive assessment using standardized testing measures, informal assessments, observations, and parent/caregiver reports to address your child's physical needs.

During the evaluation, your child will participate in a one-on-one assessment with a physical therapist for an in-depth look at his or her 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.

Evaluations can be conducted in one of our clinics, as well as in your child’s daycare, preschool, or elementary school. Bilingual evaluations in Spanish and English are available upon request.

Call our office to schedule an appointment. We take many insurances and offer private-pay options. You may need a referral from your primary care physician/pediatrician for us to be able to complete your child's evaluation.

It takes approximately one hour to complete the PT evaluation. The therapist will conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine your child's current level of functioning. At the end of the evaluation, your child’s therapist will review the results with you and discuss treatment recommendations.

Our pediatric physical therapist will write up the evaluation and submit it to your insurance company for authorization, as well as mail or email a copy of it to you directly. Once we obtain authorization from your insurance plan, one of our PTs will contact you to schedule your child’s first appointment.

We encourage you to download and complete new patient forms prior to your initial therapy session.

0-2 months

• Able to lie on stomach for short periods of time holding head up to 45 degrees. Able to roll from the back to either the right or left side

3-5 months

• Holds head in line with body in supported sit
• Sits with hand support
• Brings hands to midline when on the back
• Kicks 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 rides 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

Red flags to watch for:

• 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 stomach as an infant

At Beth Ingram Therapy Services, our pediatric physical therapy (PT) services are provided by master’s level and licensed pediatric physical therapists and physical therapy assistants with specialized training in PT for children. They use the latest cutting-edge therapy techniques and keep abreast of current treatment techniques through a variety of continuing education courses.

Weekly pediatric physical therapy sessions are designed around an individualized plan of care to address your child's needs, enhance his or her skills, and prevent injury. Treatment plans include detailed home exercise programs to incorporate therapy techniques into the home and community settings.

The number and frequency of sessions is based on the recommendations of the physical therapist who conducted your child's evaluation. Therapy can be conducted in one of our area clinics, in your home, or at your child's daycare, preschool, or elementary school (location may be determined based on your insurance and therapist availability).