Helping Children Move & Grow With Early Intervention Physical Therapy
Watching your child learn, move, and grow is an exciting time for any parent or caregiver. As they learn to look around, roll over, crawl, and walk, you don't want to miss a single second, and you're probably keeping close track of when they hit each milestone to make sure they're growing as they should.
As any caregiver knows, every child develops differently. Some might crawl very early, while another child might skip crawling altogether and go right to walking. But, if you are worried that your child is missing important physical development or gross motor milestones, early intervention physical therapy can help.
An estimated one in 40 children in the United States is born with an early motor delay. These delays can point to something more serious, which is why early intervention is always recommended if you feel your child may be missing milestones. Early intervention physical therapy in particular is specifically geared to help your child have the best possible chance of moving and growing as they should.
Pediatric Physical Therapy at About Play
The early intervention services at About Play are comprehensive and meant to support children in all areas as they learn and grow. We proudly offer pediatric physical therapy as one of our areas of expertise.
Our Early Interventionists will coordinate with the Pediatric Physical Therapists to develop games and activities that engage and improve your child's gross motor functions, getting them back on track with their physical development, and helping them grow as happy and as healthy as they can be.
What is Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Pediatric physical therapy, sometimes also called early intervention physical therapy, is any kind of work that is focused on helping children improve their gross and fine motor skills. From helping infants with flat head syndrome or head tilts correct their position to encouraging babies and toddlers to improve gross motor skills like rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking, pediatric physical therapy uses fun activities and games to help your child strengthen their bodies and increase their physical capabilities.
The fun part of pediatric physical therapy is that for your child, physical therapy looks very much like an exciting game or activity. Early intervention services are focused on helping children learn through play, so physical therapy time never feels like a frustrating chore for your child. They get to have fun and engage in a new activity that helps them move, learn, and grow!
Benefits of Early Intervention Physical Therapy
Early intervention physical therapy provides a number of benefits for your child, both in the long and short term.
- Reduces pain. Some physical developmental delays can cause pain for your child. Pediatric physical therapy can help correct what is out of alignment and help your child feel more comfortable and pain-free.
- Improves mobility and range of motion. Pediatric physical therapy works to help your child improve their mobility and range of motion, setting them up for even bigger and better things as they grow.
- Increases strength. Through directed play and other early intervention physical therapy exercises, your child will become even stronger and more mobile.
- Improves balance. Pediatric physical therapy helps children become better aware of how their body moves through space, improving their balance and setting them up for improved motor functions as they get older.
- Prevents disabilities. As with all early intervention services, making changes now helps to set your child up for the best possible life in the future. Pediatric physical therapy helps children grow past developmental delays and can prevent future disabilities.
- Prevents future injuries. With any gross motor function, from a head tilt to a limb that's longer than another, physical therapy helps your child learn to move in the best ways for them. This prevents injuries as they get older.
- Promotes improved reflexes. As your child learns to catch a ball, grab a toy, or color with a crayon, their reflexes will also improve.
- Improves posture. Pediatric physical therapy can also help to improve your child's posture, setting them up for healthy growth as they get older.
When is a Child a Candidate for Pediatric Physical Therapy?
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Your child may benefit from early intervention physical therapy if you notice that they are not meeting their expected developmental milestones during their first year of life. For example, if you notice that your child isn't rolling, sitting, standing, or walking, or if you see that they only turn to one side of their body, pediatric physical therapy may be a good option.
It's important to remember that in the state of South Carolina, early intervention services are free. Anyone can refer a child to BabyNet, and receive early intervention services if it is shown that the child will benefit from support. That means that if you're worried your child may be missing some developmental milestones, don't wait to seek support.
Early intervention is free and available to your family. For more information about early intervention physical therapy, or any other early intervention services, don't hesitate to get in touch with the About Play team.
Please Note: The team at About Play is here to help coordinate services for you and your family. We will match you with licensed professionals who specialize in the area your child needs support in, but we do not provide these services in-house.
Types of Early Intervention Services
We provide the following types of Early Intervention Services:
Special Instruction/Family Training
Example: teaching developmental skills such as sign language or teaching how to hold a child to support feedings. Learn more about Special Instruction for Families >>
Service Coordination (case management)
Example: developing a plan (IFSP) to pull services together for the family. Learn more about Service Coordination services >>
Early Intervention Evaluations
Example: checking for behavior problems, or specific therapies. Learn more about Early Intervention Evaluation services >>
Speech Services
Example: finding out why a child does not talk. Learn more about Speech Therapy services >>
Infant Massage
Example: Reduce stress for both the parent and child through infant massage. Learn more about Infant Massage >>
Physical Therapy
Example: working to improve a child’s movement to explore their environment independently. Learn more about Physical Therapy Services >>
Occupational Therapy
Example: teaching a child to use a spoon. Learn more about Occupational Therapy >>
Support Groups
Example: helping find support through community resources such as Family Connections.
Hearing Services
Example: fitting a hearing device. Learn more about Hearing Services >>
Vision Services
Example: prescribing glasses. Learn more about Vision Services >>
Nursing Services
Example: tube feeding or bandage changing. Learn more about Nursing Services >>
Nutrition Services
Example: special diets or referral to a nutritionist. Learn more about Nutrition Services >>