What Does a Pediatric Physical Therapist Do All Day?

I've been a PT for 31 years and I've been asked a million times what I do? Do I give great massages? Do I do nursing tasks? Can I prescribe medication? Do I do surgery? The answer is a little tricky and NO to several of those questions.

As a Pediatric PT I play with children all day. I use play as a way to encourage kids to move. I analyze their movement patterns and help them move efficiently, easily, and typically. I help them achieve these movement patterns in a typical time frame with their peers. I help them use their mobility skills to interact with their families, their friends, their teachers and the world.

How do I do that? I use my hands as my main tool to help tell their muscles when and how to react to help them move. I stretch muscles if they are too tight. I strengthen muscles if they are too weak. I support the body with my hands (and sometimes my feet, my head, my shoulder or any other body part I can use!) so a child can be successful moving. Most frequently I help with rolling, crawling and walking but I've worked on riding a trike, scootering, roller skating, dancing, golf, baseball, tennis and soccer to name a few.

A typical pediatric PT session usually includes some "Hello time" where I let your child acclimate to me and the gym. I use swings and exercise balls to help wake up the muscles and nervous system and prepare the child for movement. I introduce toys and bubbles to motivate the child to work with me. I use music and laughter to break the ice and help children relax if they are nervous about movement. I even use my charm bracelet and apple watch on the Mickey face to entice kids to play and move. In general, I have fun. I have a great job that allows me to act like a kid and play all day!

If you feel confused about gross motor development or you notice your child isn't progressing don't hesitate to reach out to a pediatric PT for a consult or evaluation. A pediatric PT will go through gross motor skills in detail and give you ideas about how to facilitate your child; make tummy time easier; which toys are appropriate; and how to use/or not use containers. We can also make shoe recommendations for children that are walking and assess your child's feet. We can give you peace of mind.