What I am going to talk about can be related to any age, especially for learning new skills. The video I have is with a baby and talks about head control and balance. Muscle grading is when we learn how to turn our muscles on and off at the right time and with the right […]
What is Muscle Tone?
The term “tone” is widely used and commonly thrown around in the world of PT. Parents are often told things about their child’s “tone” and this is therefore often a common topic that pediatric PT’s get asked about! Here is a general break down of tone, and the impact differences in tone can have on […]
Let’s Talk About Head Control
Head control is so important for every day life. By increasing head control even just slightly for a child or adult it can mean opened opportunities for communication and mobility. It allows increased choices for communication devices and it can allow for the uses of switches that can control wheelchairs or other mobility options. […]
Teaching Ball Dribbling
A while ago we did a post on how to progress dribbling a playground size ball starting with two hands and working down to one hand while walking. Here is a video also explaining the process also: Another way we have worked on dribbling a ball is for kids that have a hard time understanding […]
Progressing Cruising
Cruising – what is it? This older post of ours will talk about it. We may come out with another one in the future so stay tuned! Today’s post is about how to progress cruising. Your child has mastered moving along the couch or other straight surface, what can you work on next? Here are […]
Using the Ball for Getting into Sitting
I am a big fan of using the therapy ball for helping little ones learn new techniques. I think it is great for helping them to get into sitting from their back. Using the combination of the ball rolling, gravity, and my hands, they start to learn what the movement feels like for this transition […]
Walking with a Hula Hoop
We have a lot of little ones who are working on getting independent with walking (or even just standing). I know I have shared a few ideas here before for some tips and tricks but here is another one. We have been using a hula hoop with a few of them. This has worked well […]
Toy Selection for Young Kids
There is an overwhelming amount of choices in the toy stores these days and we live in a time where digital and electronic games are increasingly being used to replace physical toys. Should we be buying toys marketed as educational? What should our developing children be playing with? As physical therapists, we get asked a […]
Single Leg Stance with a Ball and a Wall
Was walking through the clinic the other day and saw this great idea for working on single leg stance. I’ve also tried it with a few other kids and it’s great! Start with a softer, squisher ball to make it easier. We like to use a Gertie style ball. Have the child stand next to […]