I came to physical therapy from a longstanding interest in movement and child development. Babies learn to move, and move to learn. Children want to move and experience their world so that they can discover and express themselves. Physical therapists can help children reach their overall potential by helping them improve their movement, whether it means they can move faster, stronger, or with greater independence.
Helping children of all ages reach their potential and achieve their goals is extremely rewarding. In order to do this, an effective, individualized treatment plan must be developed with the family’s goals and needs in mind. A focus of my treatment philosophy is collaboration. Collaboration between the child’s therapist, family, and medical team creates a healthy and productive environment in which that child can grow.
I believe that developing a child’s trust is key to effective treatment sessions and achieving physical therapy goals. I design my treatment sessions to be hands-on, dynamic, and engaging. Rather than regimented exercise routines, I present activities based upon what motivates the child. Usually this means that during my treatment sessions, children are engaging in activities, which are both challenging and fun. I find that taking this approach empowers the child and results in lasting progress.
My experience is that each child achieves goals in his or her own way. I tailor treatment plans to maximize the child’s achievement. Whether improvement is rapid or incremental, I believe that measuring and recording progress is crucial to evaluating a treatment plan’s success. For that reason, I provide regular, written progress reports to my clients’ families.
I welcome the opportunity to help your child take his or her next, very important step.