Strength: The amount of force muscles can produce with or against gravity to create movement.
Postural Control: Also referred to as balance, postural control is the ability to control the body in various positions, such as standing or sitting, during functional or play activities.
Range of Motion: The available amount of motion that can occur within the various joints in the body and that is necessary for functional movement.
Tone: The degree of tension in resting muscle tissue or during passive stretching of muscle tissue. Hypertonia is when there is increased tension in a muscle. Hypotonia is when there is decreased tensionin a muscle. Tone can be a consideration for balance, strength, and posture.
Optimal positioning and alignment: Having good posture and alignment during functional and play activities allows our bodies to move more easily and efficiently. It also decreases the chance of causing pain, overstretching muscles, or overworking muscles.
Coordination: The ability to time joint movements and muscle activity in order to create movement patterns in space, such as skipping or galloping. Coordination is also important for play activities, such ascatching a ball or doing yoga poses.
Balance strategies: The ways the body can adapt to challenges in the environment, such as uneven surfaces, sudden changes in direction, or being bumped into. These strategies are used to prevent falling, or "losing our balance," during functional and play activities.
Endurance: Muscular endurance is the ability of our muscles to produce force repeatedly over an extended period of time. Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of our heart and lungs to work togetherover extended periods of physical activity, such as running or playing sports.
Gross Motor Skills: Skills that require larger body movements and often involve larger muscles or larger groups of muscles working together. Examples can include running, walking, crawling, throwing and catching a ball, and jumping.
Gait: The body's manner in which it carries out walking. A gait cycle is a specific repetitive pattern that can be observed for variations amongst individuals. These variations can change throughout development.
Functional mobility: The ability to move in the environment in a way that one can achieve functional tasks and participate in activities with others.
Orthotic and Adaptive Equipment implementation when needed: Orthotics are external devices that can be used to aid functional movement. Examples of orthotics are shoe inserts or braces for the feet. Adaptive equipment can be used to aid functional mobility at home and in the community. Examples of adaptive equipment are walkers, wheelchairs, crutches or adaptive chairs.
Does my child need PT? A child may need a PT assessment or ongoing treatment if they are having difficulty with one or more of the following:
- Gross motor skills: sitting, crawling, walking, jumping
- Skills requiring balance or coordination
- Difficulty accessing their play or school environment: playground, home, classroom
- Seem clumsy and uncoordinated
- Limited play skills
- Seem weak or have difficulty moving
- Have decreased balance or tend to fall frequently