Physical therapy helps your child improve body movements, strength and coordination. Get help from a physical therapist for your child who:
- Can't move easily or has been hurt
- Has autism
- Has problems with their brain, nerves or spine
- Is slower to learn new skills
- Needs help with dizziness, balance or motor coordination
- Needs support for their body, like casts or braces
- Was born too early
- Has plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) or torticollis
Pediatric Physical Therapy Services
Depending on your child’s age and diagnosis, your physical therapist may recommend services to treat your child. Pediatric physical therapy services vary by location. You’ll find:
- Warm-water (aquatic) therapy teaches children how to move better in water, which helps build balance, flexibility and strength
- Balance testing and treatment checks how steady your child is and helps them improve their balance using exercises and activities
- Movement therapy works on strengthening a weaker arm or leg
- Developmental therapies increase strength, movement, coordination and other skills appropriate for their age
- Medical equipment evaluations find tools to make daily activities easier, like bathing or car rides
- Pelvic muscle therapy exercises and strengthens children’s pelvic muscles to help bladder and bowel problems
- Serial casting gently stretches tight muscles to make them more flexible or keeps joints in the right position for better movement
- Splinting, braces and orthotics support weak or injured body parts
- Wheelchair fitting ensures a child’s wheelchair fits right for ease of movement
Pediatric occupational therapy helps your child develop many skills to do everyday things more easily. An occupational therapist can help your child who:
- Finds everyday tasks difficult
- Has autism or developmental delays
- Has physical disabilities that make movement difficult
- Has trouble playing with other kids or understanding social cues
- Is extra sensitive to touch, sounds or textures
- Needs help recovering after an injury or illness
- Struggles to pay attention or plan and organize activities
- Was born early or had a difficult birth
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services
Each service and treatment allows children to become more independent, comfortable and capable in their daily lives. Pediatric occupational therapy services vary by location. Therapies match life skills and activities necessary to thrive at home, school and in the community, including:
- Daily living skills teach kids to dress, groom and play independently
- Warm-water (aquatic) therapy uses pool exercises to improve movement and strength
- Thinking skills help with memory, problem-solving and following directions
- Movement training encourages the use of a weaker arm or leg
- Feeding therapy helps children eat better or learn how to eat and feed themselves
- Fine motor control improves hand coordination, allowing kids to grasp, write, use utensils and tools, etc.
- Kinesiotaping (special taping methods) supports muscles and joints for better movement
- Muscle (myofascial) release loosens tight muscles and joints to ease pain
- Reflex integration therapy and rhythmic movement training help kids learn new movements and become more coordinated
- Sensory integration and therapy improve responses for kids who are extra sensitive to smell, taste, vision, hearing, touch, sound or movement
- Social and emotional behavior support teaches children to manage emotions, accept change and follow routines
- Visual (hand-eye coordination) skills help kids see and understand what they're looking at better
- Sensory brushing to address sensory issues such as attentiveness, transitioning between activities and motor coordination
Speech therapy can boost your child's confidence and independence by helping them communicate better. Children of all ages might need help with certain skills. A speech therapist can help your child who:
- Finds it hard to understand what others are saying
- Has trouble with reading or writing or putting words together to make sentences
- Has voice problems (like a hoarse voice)
- Says words unclearly or is hard to understand
- Starts talking later than other kids their age
- Struggles to swallow or eat certain foods
- Stutters or repeats sounds when speaking
Pediatric Speech Therapy Services
Count on us to tailor your child’s therapy to their age and needs to address pronunciation, language understanding and social skills. Pediatric speech therapy services vary by location. CentraCare services include:
- Auditory processing therapy helps kids better understand what they hear
- Cognitive therapy helps with thinking skills after head injuries
- Communication device training teaches sign language or the use of special tools for non-verbal children
- Dyslexia support assists children with reading difficulties
- Hearing (Cochlear implant) device support assists kids in learning how to speak
- Language and communication therapy for children who need help with:
- Putting words together to express thoughts
- Getting words out correctly
- Slurred speech
- Stuttering or cluttering speech
- Language therapy improves how kids understand and use words and sentences
- Social skills training teaches children how to talk to others and understand social cues
- Swallowing therapy makes eating and drinking safer and easier for kids
- VitalStim – Uses electrical stimulation to improve swallowing
- Video swallow studies – Examines swallowing function
- FEES – Uses a camera to assess swallowing
- Feeding therapy – Helps fussy eaters try new foods
- Talking (articulation) therapy teaches kids how to make sounds and say words so others can understand them better
- Voice therapy enhances voice quality and loudness
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