Growing up is no easy feat. Children are brought into the world with no inherent knowledge of their name. They develop the courage to call out for help with their first breath and soon develop the skills required to drink milk and seek assistance from Mom and Dad. However, as things get going, the talents begin to pile up—and quickly. Any adult will testify to how quickly time passes when an infant is learning to walk. Babies progress from cries to babble to imitating words in a matter of months, and muscle development and speech progress at the same rate as academic growth. Gross motor control begins to improve in earnest at the age of a few months. Babies get to learn how to turn over, followed by crawling and standing. Gross motor skills are well established by the time children are wandering around the house and getting into mischief.
If you have noticed that your child is having trouble meeting necessary milestones for their age, Endeavors pediatric physical therapy could help. Fortunately, physical therapy will assist the child in harnessing their gross motor abilities so that they can achieve their physical growth targets!
Why is my child behind their growth targets?
Do you want to know why your child isn’t developing skills at the same rate as their siblings or peers? You’re not alone. If this is a worry of yours, our physical therapy team will assist you.
We see a diverse number of patients at our hospital, and we are aware that a variety of factors may contribute to a developmental delay.
According to ChoosePT,
“A developmental delay is diagnosed when a child is assessed as being more than “a little behind” in performing everyday skills. The term defines a substantial lag in performance, and may be used to describe any type of delay in 1 or more of the following 5 skill areas:
- Fine and gross motor (movement)
- Cognitive (thinking)
- Social and emotional
- Speech and language
- Activities of daily living
These delays may or may not result from a specific medical condition. For example, a child with Down syndrome is identified at or before birth as having the syndrome but also can have developmental delay. This fact is true for any child with a disability, such as autism or cerebral palsy. Children without a specific medical condition, however, may still have a developmental delay. Early assessment is key. Parents should express any concerns, even the slightest ones, to their pediatrician or physical therapist.”
Since the early diagnosis of a developmental delay is critical, our physical therapists will conduct a physical examination to decide where the child is in terms of physical and cognitive growth, allowing us to best recommend therapy options for his or her needs.
The importance of pediatric physical therapy
Pediatric physical therapists are highly trained to work with children of all ages. To help encourage the development of gross motor skills, your physical therapist will help your child with basic muscle movements, from being able to lift their head and put weight on their arms and legs to figuring out the coordination necessary to roll over and begin to crawl.
There are many reasons that a child can need physical therapy from an early age. Any infants have difficulties with gross motor skills as a result of being born early or having some kind of neurological disability, whether as a result of birth complications or a genetic disorder.
Additional common reasons that pediatric physical therapy is recommended for include:
- Genetic disorders, including down syndrome
- Abnormal muscle tone
- Coordination disorder
- Developmental delayed milestones
It is never too early to start working with a pediatric physical therapist. Research has shown over and over again the benefits of early intervention with developmental delays.
The earlier we can start targeting muscle development and growth and begin working in earnest to improve coordination and muscle function, the more likely your child will be able to experience a more typical development.
Depending on the issues experienced by the child, pediatric therapy may be recommended as early as six weeks after birth.
How a PT strengthens your child’s gross motor skills
Rolling, crawling, walking, and jumping. These are the actions that define infants to so many of us. For a child to be deprived of the fun in learning how their body moves, and to be unable to explore the world around them due to stiffness or weakness in their muscle development, is unfair for the child and heartbreaking for the parent.
However, children who are born with special needs may have difficulty developing even basic gross motor skills. This can create a lot of questioning and uncertainty for the parents, but the reality is that if your child isn’t developing gross motor skills on schedule, there are a lot of strategies that can help them overcome those barriers.
Working with a physical therapist from an early age is a great strategy to help improve your child’s development of gross motor skills, helping them to be the active and playful child they are inside.
Call our office today for more information
Working with a physical therapist can be the difference you are looking for in helping your child to experience a more standard developmental schedule. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us.
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