The Crucial Role of Physical Therapy in Children’s Development

Identifying and Addressing Delayed Milestones

WRITTEN BY HANNAH HAUGEN PT, DPT, MONTANA MOBILE REHAB

As parents eagerly anticipate their child’s developmental milestones, the achievement of gross motor skills is often a significant source of joy and pride. However, for some children, the path to these milestones may not unfold as expected. Physical therapy for children plays a crucial role in addressing and preventing delayed milestones, fostering proper growth and enhancing overall well-being.

The Role of Pediatric Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapy is a specialized field focused on addressing the unique needs of children with movement challenges. Familycentered goals are created to address the wants and needs of each child and their family. Therapists educate families on activities they can incorporate into daily routines to reach their goals, fostering a supportive environment for the child’s development.

Pediatric physical therapists can address many areas, including motor skill development, preventing long-term issues and pain, promoting independence and increasing confidence. This enables each child the ability to fully participate in all their desired activities, at home and at school. This independence is crucial for their overall social and emotional development as they interact with friends and family.

Identifying Delayed Milestones

When a child experiences delays in achieving gross motor milestones, it can be a cause for concern. It is important to intervene early in order to reduce further delays and help children progress to reach age-appropriate milestones. The best way to detect a potential delay in your child’s development is to use the following strategies:

» Observation and Expected Milestones

Parents and caregivers should keenly observe their child from an early age. Differences in movement patterns, muscle strength or coordination may be indicative of potential delays. Understanding typical developmental milestones for different age groups can help to provide insight on the expected skills of a child. Milestones can include rolling over, crawling, walking and more. Comparing a child’s progress to these benchmarks can help identify delays. However, it is important to note that each child develops at their own pace, and variations are normal within a typical range.

» Communication with Professionals

Regular communication with healthcare professionals including pediatricians, nurses, therapists and even teachers, is essential. These professionals can provide guidance on age-appropriate milestones and help identify concerns based on their expertise. Open and ongoing communication is important for early detection and intervention.

» Seeking Professional Assessment

If a professional, parent or caregiver has concerns about their child’s development, seeking a professional evaluation by a pediatric physical therapist is recommended. The therapist can conduct a thorough evaluation to identify any specific areas of concern and develop intervention plans and goals tailored to each individual child.

Reasons for Physical Therapy

» Delayed Gross Motor Milestones

Infants typically demonstrate skills such as rolling, sitting by themselves, crawling and walking at specific ages. Delays in these early milestones might indicate potential issues. Speak with your pediatrician or reach out to a pediatric physical therapist if you have questions or concerns.

» Difficulty with Balance and Coordination

If a child frequently trips and falls, has difficulty balancing or controlling their body or struggles with playing sports compared to peers, this could be a sign a child will benefit from physical therapy.

» Abnormal Gait or Posture

Observing a child’s walking pattern and posture compared to other children can reveal potential issues and delays. Some examples that may warrant a physical therapy evaluation include walking on tiptoes, walking with feet turned inward or sitting with a rounded back or legs out to the side in a ”W” shape.

» Poor Motor Planning

Difficulty planning or determining the correct order of steps to execute a motor task may indicate a need for pediatric physical therapy intervention. This may present as difficulty catching a ball, hopping on one foot or kicking a ball.

» Impaired Strength and Endurance

Signs of weakness or poor endurance can include difficulty getting up off the floor, walking long distances, jumping or needing to take more breaks during physical activities than their peers.

Dr Hannah Haugen is a pediatric physical therapist with Montana Mobile Rehab. For more information, please visit www. MontanaMobileRehab.com or contact montanamobilerehab@ gmail.com, or call or text 406-318-5055.