Physical Therapy Can Help the Way Your Child Plays: Your Guide to Pediatric PT
If you've ever watched your child struggle to keep up with peers, whether it's difficulty climbing stairs, trouble with balance, or delayed walking, you might be wondering: Is this normal? Should we be concerned? Can physical therapy help?
Our physical therapist, Melissa Reams, is answering your biggest questions about pediatric physical therapy and how it can help your child move confidently through their world.
What Are Early Signs That a Child Might Benefit from Physical Therapy?
Some signs a child may benefit from PT intervention include:
Delayed motor milestones — Such as rolling, sitting independently, crawling, or walking
Asymmetries — Such as favoring one side, head tilt, or only rolling to one side
Structural or postural differences — Including flattening on one side of the head or a slouched posture
Coordination, strength, or endurance challenges — Difficulty with tasks that should be age-appropriate
If you're noticing any of these patterns, it's worth getting an evaluation.
What Kinds of Conditions Does Pediatric PT Help With?
A pediatric physical therapist can address challenges related to:
Developmental delays
Neurological conditions or injuries
Orthopedic injuries
Syndromes or congenital anomalies
Whether your child has a diagnosed condition or you're just noticing movement challenges, a PT evaluation can help clarify what's happening and whether intervention would help.
At What Ages Do You Work With Children for PT? Can It Start in Infancy?
Yes, therapy absolutely can, and often should, start in infancy. We evaluate and treat children from birth through 18 years of age (or up to 21 years of age in some school-based programs).
What's the Difference Between Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy?
Physical Therapy focuses on gross motor (large muscle) skill development, mobility, strength, coordination, balance, and gait. We look to ensure children can move safely and efficiently through their environment by crawling, walking, running, and jumping.
Occupational Therapy focuses on fine motor (small muscle) skills, sensory processing, and activities of daily living. OTs help children learn to dress, eat, write, cut, and self-regulate.
Do Children "Grow Out" of Motor Delays On Their Own, or Is Intervention Important?
While some children do catch up naturally, waiting for this to happen can cause them to develop highly inefficient and/or atypical movement patterns that do not address underlying weakness or coordination difficulties.
Early intervention actively:
Builds stable foundations of development
Boosts confidence
Prevents compounding frustrations or social withdrawal that can occur when a child struggles to keep up with peers
Will My Child Be Doing "Exercises," or Does It Look More Like Play?
Physical therapy sessions have every activity as a structured, purposeful intervention. Kids should enjoy coming to PT, and through play, they're building the movement skills and confidence they need.
How Long Is a Typical Session, and How Often Would My Child Come In?
Session length and frequency are determined by the needs and tolerance of the individual.
Typical session length: 30-60 minutes
Typical frequency: 1-2 times per week
How Long Does a Child Typically Stay in Physical Therapy?
Acute orthopedic injuries or simple milestone corrections can often be successful in 1-4 months.
Children with more complex neurological, genetic, or developmental conditions may benefit from ongoing or long-term therapy.
Goals are evaluated and updated on an ongoing basis with an eye for achievement and independence at all levels.
Do You Offer PT in Schools as Well as the Clinic? How Do Those Differ?
Clinic-Based PT is driven by a medical model. The scope is much broader and focuses on performance across home and community environments.
School-Based PT is delivered on an educational model focusing strictly on a child's ability to access their educational environment. We do offer PT in the schools as well.
Many children benefit from both. Clinic-based PT addresses broader goals, while school-based PT ensures your child can participate in the educational environment. Together, they promote long-term function across all the environments your child navigates.
What's the Next Step?
If you think your child might benefit from physical therapy, we're here to help.
Schedule a free developmental screening or consultation with us. We'll assess your child's movement patterns, answer your questions, and help you understand whether PT is a good fit.
📍 Carolina School Services | Wake Forest, NC
📞 984-289-3890
Your child deserves to move confidently through the world. Let's help them get there. - Melissa Reams, Pediatric Physical Therapist
Comments