Community Therapy Services, P.C.

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Physical therapy is often prescribed by the pediatrician to help your child achieve gross motor skills; i.e. those skills that involve large muscle groups in the arms and legs. For infants, this may be sitting, walking, or crawling. In older children, this is balancing, running, and "playground" skills. Therapists use play and games to help your child gain strength, range of motion, and balance and coordination. Physical therapy is goal-oriented and individualized for each child to help them in the home and school environments.

Community Therapy Services specializes in pediatric physical therapy. We work with children from birth through young adulthood. Our physical therapists have experience working with Autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, orthopedic injuries, CVA, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, spina bifida, tortocollis, and traumatic brain injury.

Click here to find out more about Aqua Tots, our summer physical therapy program for children ages 1 to 3.

Information on Neuro-Developmental Treatment

Physical therapy is used to

increase head and trunk control
improve standing and walking
improve balance and coordination
improve gross motor skills
assess need for orthopedic equipment
improve motor planning

Parents often wonder is their child is achieving normal developmental milestones. By 12 months, a child should be displaying some type of locomotion -- walking, crawling, "cruising," etc. -- and should have a healthy interest in his / her surroundings.

Tips for parents from a Physical Therapist:
Here are several ways parents can promote better gross motor skills after their child has begun walking.

Climbing: Either up the stairs or over and under object, this is a great way to gain upper and lower extremity strength. Just make sure you are right there in case of a fall.
Balancing: Walking along a curb, kicking a ball, marching to music, and standing on tip-toes can improve your child's motor skills.
Jumping: Hold your child's hands and have him / her jump down from a small stool. For added interest, jump onto a squeak top. Play games imitating animal movement -- jump like a frog and hop like a bunny or a kangaroo.

The following may be indicators that your child would benefit from Physical Therapy:

Increased muscle stiffness/tightness
Delay in obtaining motor milestones
Poor balance and uncoordinated
Difficulty in moving through the environment
Postural abnormalities
Muscle Weakness
Pain

The physical therapist can provide evaluation and treatment to children with gross motor dysfunction. If your child has trouble sitting, crawling, balancing, or walking he/she may benefit from a consultation with a physical therapist. The focus of therapy is to enable your child to achieve maximum functional independence in the home and school. Children participate in games and play activities focused on developing strength, balance, and gross motor skills.

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