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4 Positions to Try with Hip Helpers
Rose McLean
Rose McLean, PT, DPT, c/NDT, is co-owner and lead physical therapist at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, where she has dedicated over 20 years to helping children with developmental challenges achieve their movement goals. Rose's specialized focus on pediatric physical therapy, combined with her commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration, has made her a trusted resource for families navigating motor delays, neurological conditions, and complex developmental needs throughout Chicago. Rose earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University in Chicago in 2004, where she received rigorous training in both pediatric and neurological rehabilitation. She began her clinical career at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, consistently ranked among America's top pediatric medical centers, where she gained invaluable experience treating children with diverse and medically complex conditions. This foundation shaped her evidence-based, child-centered approach to therapy. Beyond her doctoral training, Rose holds certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT), a specialized intervention approach for children with cerebral palsy, neurological impairments, and other developmental disorders. She also maintains registration with Illinois' Early Intervention Program, allowing her to provide services to infants and toddlers (birth to age 3) in both home and clinic settings. Rose's therapeutic style is distinctively playful and highly individualized. She invests time in understanding each child's personality, interests, and motivators, then designs sessions that feel like play while targeting specific developmental goals. Whether working on strength, balance, coordination, or motor planning, Rose ensures therapy remains engaging and appropriately challenging. In 2014, Rose partnered with her husband Patrick to establish Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, driven by a vision that pediatric therapy should be comprehensive, collaborative, and convenient. She wanted to eliminate the fragmentation families often experience when their child needs multiple therapies—instead offering coordinated care where physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, behavior analysts, and social workers communicate regularly about each child's progress. Rose also prioritized creating community spaces where families can connect and children can learn social skills alongside therapeutic development.
Read Less →If your physical or occupational therapist has recommended hip helpers, you may be wondering about ways to use them to get the maximum benefit for your child. Here are 4 positions to try with this device to strengthen your child’s trunk and hips and build their functional skills!
1) Tummy time
Hip helpers are a great tool to strengthen your child’s glutes (butt muscles) and core in tummy time! Some babies have a hard time pushing up on their arms. Especially in tummy time due to glut and core weakness or “frog legged” positioning. They set your child up for success in tummy time by positioning their legs appropriately straight behind them, which makes it easier to activate the muscles needed to push up and interact with the world.
2) All Fours (Crawling Position)
Frog legs no more! Hip helpers will assist your child in maintaining appropriate hip positioning in all fours, keeping their knees directly under their hips. This will strengthen your child’s core and hips, as well as setting them up to learn to crawl! In all fours with hip helpers, you can work on rocking and reaching to prepare for crawling.
3) Tall kneeling
Set your child up at a surface (a 6” tall box works well!) so that they are kneeling with their hands on the surface and their bottoms off of their heels. This is a tall kneel position. For children who need hip helpers, it can be difficult to maintain this position without dropping into a W sit. Hip helpers will assist your child in maintaining this posture appropriately, and build strength in the hips and core.
4) Transitions
While this isn’t technically a position, transitioning through different positions is one of the best ways to use these activities! Does your child like to do the splits when they transition from sitting to the floor. Do they like to transition through a W-sit or frog legged position when attempting to get to all fours? If so, hip helpers are here to save the day. Encourage your child to move and groove while wearing this device to help them build strength. This will also assist your child with moving in a more functional pattern.
Questions or Concerns?
If your child wears hip helpers, try them out in these awesome functional and strength-building positions. If you think your child may need hip helpers and have concerns about your child’s “frog legs” or wide hip positioning, give us a call at 773-687-9241 to set up a consultation with a pediatric physical therapist today!
Have an older, school age child? Check out our Therapeutic Children’s Academy and see how we can help your entire family reach their maximum potential
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