Physical therapy for children

Physical therapists which specialize in working with infants and toddlers treat movement and functional abnormalities through physical play and stimulation. This includes helping the child assume positions or perform movements that he or she is normally unable to accomplish independently. The goal of physical therapy at the early paediatric level is to improve the child's developmental skills, processing and overall learning, and eventually allow the child to function independently in the home or school setting.

Initially, the physical therapist assesses the child's abilities and developmental stage by performing a gross motor skill exam. This enables the therapist to formulate a set of goals to aspire to, such as rolling over or sitting independently, improving motor control, or generally enhancing the quality of life. The child's family is also educated about any special devices the child might benefit from, how to teach the child functional movement, stability and other essential motor skills, as well as providing sensory stimuli to the child's damaged nervous system.

The American Physical Therapy Association developed a task force in 1990 to validate the necessity of early physical therapy. The Task Force on Easy Intervention's agenda is based on the following information;

  1. The first years are crucial to later development.
  2. Infants are able to actively participate, learn, and form attachments.
  3. While parents are the primary caregivers and teachers of their children, parents of a special needs child might need assistance to successfully care for their child.
  4. Both biological and environmental factors have a role in the developmental outcome.

Components of Physical Therapy

  1. Exercises to improve range of motion.
  2. Strength exercises to improve muscle tone.
  3. Functional skills such as getting in and out of bed.
  4. Focus on reaching developmental milestones.
  5. Use of devices or casts to improve function.
  6. Teaching the use of prosthetics.
  7. Using heat, cold, electric current or whirlpool to decrease pain, improve flexibility, control pain or promote healing.
  8. Aquatic therapy for improving muscle tone, flexibility and pain management.
  9. Cardio exercises to build endurance.
  10. Strengthening the respiratory system through breathing exercises.

A structured program has the capability to vastly improve the lives and abilities of special-needs young children and their families. Given this assumption, the following are the key advantages of early physical therapy;

  • Infants and toddlers have a pliable nervous response system and they learn through their senses
  • The main facilities learned in the early years are motor skills
  • Early intervention has the greatest success rate
  • Family-centered services provide valuable resources

Physical therapy will help your child to enhance their independence, physical and emotional well-being. These skills will later allow your child to succeed in school and reap the maximum enjoyment out of life.

DreamGYM™ indoor jungle gym is the perfect tool for children's physical therapy. It can be used in rehabilitation centres and in homes with special needs children. The modular design of our indoor jungle gym makes it easily adaptable to allow everyone to participate. The accessories are attached by quick links. It is very easy to replace the existing accessories with new ones that will better suit your child's needs and keep him/her interested. We also offer a variety of hammocks that can be used in vestibular therapy.