For some children, standing on one foot can be challenging – especially if they’ve struggled with motor control, coordination, or strength in the past. If your child relies on handrails for going up or down the stairs, sits down on the floor to put on their shoes, or fall or lose their balance often, then…
“They’re getting into everything!” As a physical therapist, one of my favorite phrases to hear from parents of toddlers is “they’re getting into everything!” Toddlers are little explorers learning to walk, climb, and navigate their environments. They are working on motor planning, or the connection between the brain and the body that allows a toddler…
6 Potty Training Tips Potty training can be a trip. Every child is different. Every family is different. AND, there are SO MANY different opinions out there on how to do it best. Where do you even begin?! This article will be a great place to start your journey. It is not intended to provide…
9 Signs Your Child Is Ready for Potty Training – A Pediatric Pelvic Health Physical Therapist’s Perspective Potty Training can be a stressful, yet exciting experience for both the child and the caregiver. It is a period of time where your child is exploring a new level of independence! But, how do you know that…
Does Your Child Have Weak Hip Muscles? For some reason or another, you may have been told your your child’s hip muscles are weak. Maybe you were given this information at a school assessment, or perhaps you have noticed your child having difficulty with running and jumping. Either way, it may be time to incorporate some hip…
Do you ever feel like when your child is active that they look awkward running or that something is off when they are walking? Does your child duck walk or walk pigeon toed? Maybe they also run in that position? You may be curious what on earth can physical therapists really do about it. Well, this blog post is…
Putting the PT (Physical Therapist) in PT (Potty Training) There are many physiological things that need to happen before a child is ready for potty training, such as awareness and the ability to hold/void voluntarily. They will also need higher level fine motor and sensory skills. Here are some of the factors involving the gross motor skills such as strength, balance, and coordination needed to ensure…
Teletherapy sessions look different for every child and every family. That is especially true for those who have a child with special needs. Through teletherapy the physicality of a session shrinks or is removed all together. However, there are still amazing ways to individualize each child’s experience. There are also so many ways to adapt sessions…
Low muscle tone in babies, sometimes called hypotonia or “floppy baby,” is a condition that can affect your child’s development. If a doctor has mentioned low muscle tone, or you suspect low muscle tone, a physical therapist can help. What is low muscle tone? Tone is a description of a quality of a muscle, but…
If your baby is beginning to push up onto their hands and knees, they may be getting ready to crawl! Baby Crawling, or “creeping,” is an important motor milestone that builds the foundation for higher level motor skills including walking, running, climbing, ball skills, and playground skills. Most children begin to crawl between seven and…
Having bowel movements is an important activity that most people do every day without giving it much thought or attention. However, sometimes we must pay extra attention to our children’s bowel movements to ensure that the bowels are functioning as they should. When kids stop going #2 regularly, it can negatively impact their physical and…
But Not Positioning Equipment Play is the ‘job’ of all babies, infants and toddlers – and play can be hard work! As parents, it is our job to facilitate this play by providing our children many opportunities to play in a variety of positions. This helps to enhance a child’s visual development, spatial awareness, social…
