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A pediatric physical therapist helps develop or return the function of gross motor skills, such as sitting, crawling, walking, running, and jumping. They evaluate and treat patients with injuries to the bones, muscles, and brain, as well as any other condition limiting a child's ability to reach developmental milestones.
A physical therapist currently graduates with a master's degree or doctorate and is licensed through a state board examination. The professional organization is the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
How do I know if my child needs P.T.?
Children with significant injuries are often referred for physical therapy (P.T.). When this occurs, a referral is made by either by the physician who treats the injury or by the child's pediatrician upon a follow-up visit.
When delays in normal development are suspected, it is more difficult to determine whether or not physical therapy is necessary. Your first source should be your child's pediatrician. Discussing your concerns will help determine what steps should be taken.
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the department. A physical therapist will be able to answer most of your questions.
Click here for a printable timeline (Adobe PDF document) showing a typical developmental sequence for gross motor skills targeted by physical therapists. Use it as a guideline only. Remember that there is a range of normal development. Some skills may develop earlier than expected. Others will come later. A pediatric physical therapist is skilled in recognizing the differences between normal, delayed, and disordered development.
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