Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Can Make a Significant Difference In a Child’s Life

At Kara Dodds and Associates, our pediatric physical therapy addresses strength, balance, coordination, endurance, and sensory integration for children with special needs.  They evaluate and treat infants to adolescents who have difficulties moving and performing other physical activities related to injuries, pre-existing conditions, and problems caused by illnesses or diseases.

At Kara Dodds and Associates, our pediatric occupational therapists assess and create treatment plans to target goals of increasing attention, self-regulation, social and behavior skills to promote positive and safe play skills all awhile creating a carry-over plan from center into home.  All of our occupational therapists are trained and experienced in successfully addressing sensory processing and feeding disorders in children and are here to help your child succeed.

Why Is Motor Movement Important In A Child’s Life?

Pediatric physical therapists promote independence, motor development, improving strength, range of motion to get kids back to being kids by helping children to improve gross motor deficits play, self-care activities and daily living events needed to help achieve independence by strengthening core muscles which can assist your child in tasks of sitting, handwriting, drawing, or coloring as well as possibly increase their attention to task in school or at home.  A strong core trunk can also enable your child to breathe, communicate, move and use their extremities more effectively.  Physical therapy can also help strengthen upper and lower extremities to assist with age appropriate activities such as running, jumping, and ascending and descending stairs safely.

Signs Your Child May Need Physical Therapy

• Baby prefers to turn head to one side
• Not weightbearing on legs by 6 months
• Not sitting by 8 months
• Not crawling by 12 months
• Not walking by 18 months
• Walks on tip toes for more than 6 months
• Slumps when sitting
• Frequently fall, seem clumsy or uncoordinated
• Limp or favor a hip or leg
• Tire easily when playing

If your child exhibits any of these signs, they may be experiencing gross motor delays inhibiting him or her from performing many age appropriate gross motor activities.

How Can Physical Therapy for Children Help Your Child?

• Improve abnormal gait pattern with gait training
• Address and improve Hypertonia (high muscle tone)
• Address and improve Hypotonia (low muscle tone)
• Improve flexibility or restrictions in range-of-motion
• Improve core or lower extremity weakness
• Improve ligament laxity
• Improve neuromuscular function and endurance
• Improve poor posture
• Improve coordination
• Reduce pain
• Improve environmental adaptations (e.g. seating / positioning)
• Improve wheelchair positioning & mobility
• Providing splinting, bracing or orthotics

Common Physical Therapy Diagnoses

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Hydrocephalus
• Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Musculoskeletal Injuries
• Scoliosis
• Spina Bifida
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Balance & Vestibular Disorders
• Cerebral Palsy
• Complications of Prematurity
• Down Syndrome
• Developmental Delays or Disabilities