Physical Therapy
Our pediatric physical therapists evaluate and provide treatment for children who have problems with motor skills. Your child might need physical therapy to help with developmental delay, a birth defect, chronic illness or an injury.
Physical therapy helps develop the strength, balance, coordination and range of motion children need to move through their environment easily and effectively. Physical therapy goals often include help with developmental milestones like sitting, standing, crawling and walking. Our licensed physical therapists also assess the need for orthotics (like splints and braces) and recommend adaptive equipment.
Gross Motor Milestones from Birth to Age 5
By 6 months your child should…
- Hold head steady when sitting with support
- Reach for and grasp objects with both hands
- Play with toes
- Pull to a sitting position on their own if you grasp their hands
- Sit with very little support
- Roll over from back to tummy and tummy to back
- Push up onto hands and knees, rocking back and forth
- Pivot on their tummy in a circle to the right and the left to reach a toy placed out of reach
Red flags that may indicate your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Child has difficulty holding their head up when sitting or requires a lot of support around their abdomen to maintain a sitting position
- Child demonstrates asymmetries in their movements: rolling only to one side, pivoting to one side, reaching or kicking with only one arm or leg
By 12 months your child should…
- Sit well without support while playing with toys
- Get to sitting without help
- Move from sitting to hands and knees for crawling or to their tummy
- Crawl on hands and knees
- Pull themselves to a standing position
- Cruise along furniture
- Stand alone briefly
- Walk with one hand held
- May begin taking steps without help
Red Flags that may indicate that your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Your child does not crawl
- One side of their body seems to drag when crawling
- Your child does not accept weight through their legs when put in a standing position
By 18 months your child should…
- Walk independently
- Pull and push toys
- Carry small toys
- Begin to run with stiff legs and eyes focused on the ground
Red flags that may indicate your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Your child is not walking by 18 months
By 2 years old your child should…
- Squat to pick up a toy and return to standing without falling
- Walks up steps with help
- Takes steps backwards, may or may not pull a toy
- Stands on their tip toes
- Tosses or rolls a large ball
- Kicks a ball
- Climbs onto and off of furniture without help
Red flags that may indicate your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Your child walks on their toes exclusively, or does not walk with a heel-toe pattern
- Your child walks with their feet placed outside of their shoulders
By 3 years old your child should…
- Open doors
- Throw a ball overhead
- Attempt to catch a large ball
- Walk up steps, alternating feet
- Walk on tip toes
- Walk in a straight line
- Kick a ball forward
- Jump with 2 feet
- Pedal a tricycle
Red flags that may indicate your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Seems to fall frequently when walking over even or uneven surfaces
- Unable to maintain balance to kick a ball
- Jumps with one foot leading at a time
- Unable to maintain a pedaling pattern when riding a tricycle
By 4 years old your child should…
- Hop on one foot
- Stand on one foot for 5 seconds
- Catch a bounced ball consistently
- Move forward and backwards efficiently without loss of balance
- Walk downstairs with one handrail alternating feet
- Swing independently
Red flags that may indicate your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Unable to change directions while walking without losing their balance
- Unable to throw a ball overhead
- Unable to jump in place
- Walks up and down stairs with 2 feet on each step
By 5 years old your child should…
- Stand on one foot for 10 seconds
- Swings and climbs on playground equipment efficiently
- Walks up and down stairs alternating feet without support
- Beginning to skip
- Run while changing directions efficiently
Red flags that may indicate your child could benefit from physical therapy:
- Avoids or seems fearful to climb on upper level playground equipment or on changing surfaces
- Unable to walk up and down steps independently while alternating feet
- Appear clumsy or awkward when running
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