Physical Therapy

Physical therapists (PT) are skilled professionals whose education includes the study of human growth and development with specific emphasis on the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury. Services typically include:

• Customized treatment programs to improve one's ability to perform daily activities
• Making recommendations to assist with adaptation to the environment
• Performance skills assessments and treatment
• Adaptive equipment recommendations and usage training
• Guidance to family members and caregivers
• Sensory Integration Evaluations

A PT can address many areas, including the following:

• Developmental delays
• Motor planning difficulties
• Crossing midline
• Postural instability
• Attention and focus
• Activities of daily living
• Strengthening - general and specific
• Gross motor concerns
• Coordination difficulties
• Sensory motor processing
• Perceptual difficulties
• Oral motor weakness
• Fine motor concerns

Physical therapy can help children to improve their ability to improve functional performance in all environments, home, school, and community. They work with children/adolescence who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. They also help to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Physical therapists help not only to improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for possibly permanent losses of function in a particular area of development or physical ability. Their goal is to help facilitate increased independent, productive, and satisfying lives. This can include activities of all types, ranging from:

• Physical exercises may be used to increase strength and dexterity
• Improve visual acuity and the ability to discern patterns
• Coordination problems
• Exercises to improve hand-eye coordination
• Reduce anxiety and gain self-confidence in their abilities

Physical therapists can also use computer programs to help children/adolescents improve decision-making, abstract reasoning, problem-solving, and perceptual skills, sequencing, and coordination – all of which are important for independence.