Physical Therapy
The Physical Therapy team provides comprehensive assessments and individualized therapeutic treatment programing tailored to your child's needs. PTs work with children birth to school age and their families to assist every child to promoting active participation at home, in school and in the community.
Pediatric physical therapists promote independence, facilitate motor development, improve strength and endurance in order to enhance learning and full participation in school as well as extra curricular activity and improvement in function in everyday life activities.
Physical therapists treat areas including but not limited to:
- General Developmental Delay
- At the infant level: Delayed rolling , sitting, pulling to standing or walking
- At the preschool level: delayed skills such as climbing stairs, jumping, balance, frequent falling, coordination such as throwing and catching and kicking a ball, or riding a ride on toy or tricycle, difficulty with playground activity or difficulty keeping up with peers.
- Musculoskeletal Orthopedic issues – such as Torticollis, Club feet, Toe walking
- Genetic disorders – such as Down Syndrome
- Neurological, Brain and Spinal disorders – cerebral palsy, spina bifada
- Motor dysfunction due to illness or disease – recovery from stroke, or head injury, treatment for cancer
- Motor delays due to injury
- Motor Delays due to prematurity
Pediatric Physical Therapists will work toward improvement in the following areas:
- Developmental Skills – motor skills that are expected at every age
- Movement and Mobility – rolling , crawling, walking , jumping , running , climbing
- Strengthening - through fun activity as well as exercise planning for upper body lower body , core strength, neck strength and use of this strength for motor performance
- Flexibility / Range of Motion – stretching through play and exercise and yoga
- Balance -using various equipment, balance beam, balance board, obstacle courses
- Coordination- using therapeutic exercise as well as functional activity
- Gait Deviations – assessment and treatment of walking
- Motor planning – helping children understand how to move their bodies through space
- Management of Muscle Tone – hypotonia, hypertonia and it’s effect on movement patterns
- Endurance- improving cardiac and pulmonary and muscular endurance and how it affects children’s abilities to function in their daily activities
- Posture and Alignment – assessment of standing , sitting and movement
- Assessment and training for Orthotics and Prosthetics
- Assessment for Adaptive equipment to help with walking safety or sitting posture – including use of walkers, canes, and adaptive seating for both mobility and school
- Treatment for Pain
- Parent Training and Home Program Development – Follow through with home suggestions is always crucial for achieving the best possible outcomes and improvements
Pediatric physical therapists provide ongoing reassessment in collaboration and consultation with families and other members of the treatment team at home and in school in order to promote independence, increase participation , and facilitate motor development to maximize every childs’ potential.