With over 13 years experience, providing home-based pediatric PT and wellness is my bread and butter. I love the autonomy of making my own schedule, the daily challenges creating fun and exciting exercises, and the joy I feel when I see a child thrive at home with his family…If you are thinking about becoming a home-based therapist, check out my personal recipe for delivering excellent pediatric services:
Read MoreYou know when you go to your child’s well check-up visit and have to fill out those questionnaires about what your child is or isn’t doing at this point in his life? Sound familiar? Good. So, what’s the deal with the question about riding a bicycle?
Most children are able to ride a tricycle by age 3 and ride a two-wheel bicycle by age 7. This accomplishment is really exciting for both the child and parent!
Read MoreMy sister-in-law was a talented ballerina. As with most sports, genetics plays a huge roll in sport success. She was born with great lines including high arches in her feet making her point extra special.
As children start bearing weight through their legs, the muscles, bones and nerves in their feet begin to change. The arches in the feet form as the forces from the muscles and gravity shape the body. It’s physics and it’s pretty cool how the pull of external forces impact our body’s structural development. I could go on for pages about the dorky concepts of force and Wolff’s law, but I’ll spare you the details today. Instead, let’s focus on the optics of feet; specifically, let’s focus on flat feet. (Flat feet is referred to as "pes planus" in the medical world)
Read MoreDo you remember that kid in elementary school who would sit in circle time with their legs twisted back?
This is actually a sitting posture called "W" sitting that can cause a lot of problems in leg development in children.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again and Black Friday is almost here! Let’s get our holiday wish lists ready! Here, you will find my favorite infant toys that enhance movement and development. It’s rare that I actually endorse a specific toy. However, over the past 10+ years working as a pediatric physical therapist and using a variety of toys for motivation and movement, I want to share 3 of my favorites that should be on your wish list this year.
Read MoreIn honor of World Prematurity Day, and #sciencefriday, I want to teach about a special part of our population that does not get much recognition: the Late Pre-term Infant.
Did you know that the average pre-term births in the United States is 450,000 per year? Of those, 75% are considered Late Pre-Term.1
A Late Pre-Term infant or “LPT” is defined as children born between 34 0/7 weeks and 36 6/7 weeks gestational age.1,2 Late pre-term infants are a highly at risk population for:
Read MoreToday, let’s focus on sitting balance.
Typically, 50% of infants sit independently by 6 months old. Independent sitting allows the child freedom to reach and play with toys, improves the visual field in order to observe the environment for learning, and builds core muscles against gravity to prepare for crawling, standing and walking.
Read MoreWalking seems to always be on the forefront of a parent's mind during the first year of their child's life. This makes sense. Walking is essential for cognitive, social, and muscular-skeletal development. Walking is one of the most recognized motor milestones, and, it is so adorable watching those first steps!
Read MoreWhat's the Deal with Torticollis?
For such a strange medical term, this is one that is recognized pretty often in the parent/Mom/baby world. Here, I want to give you:
The problem arises...
When I am getting background information on a baby, I typically ask the parent about Tummy Time. How often they do it with their baby, how their baby handles being on their stomach, ect. This information gives me as a physical therapist insight into the child’s ability to move in positions other than supine (on his back), into neck and shoulder muscle strength, and possible indications of medical problems including acid reflux that would require physician follow-up care.
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