MTC Physical Therapists can evaluate your child’s gross motor skills to determine if gross motor weakness exists.

The Physical Therapists assist in early detection of developmental delay. They are trained in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of infants, children, and adolescents with a variety of congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal, or acquired disorders/diseases. Treatments focus on improving gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination, strength and endurance as well as cognitive and sensory processing/integration.

Gross Motor: Children with gross motor difficulties may exhibit difficulties with the following tasks:

- Seems weaker or tires more easily than other children his/her age.
- Difficulty with hopping, jumping, skipping, or running compared to others his/her age.
- Clumsy or seems not to know how to move body, bumps into things.
- Hesitates to climb or play on playground equipment.
- Reluctant to participate in sports or physical activity; prefers table activities
- Seems to have difficulty learning new motor tasks

The expectations for the level of development of any of these skills will vary depending on the child's age. It is critical to remember that all of these skills are developing simultaneously. Impairment of one area is likely to stunt development in other areas. Play is the media most often used in the Physical Therapist treatment of children. It is highly motivating and a natural media used by all children.

Physical Therapists refer to treatment protocols that can help children move, explore and play to the best of their abilities in their environments. Therapies using mobility-crawling, walking, running, jumping and climbing exercises can help children attain independence.

The trained Physical Therapist is able to help children work on balance and coordination for everything from smooth walking patterns to such higher level activities as hopping and skipping. Therapists assess neuromuscular tone, joint mobility, core and extremity strength, postural control and balance, gait, bilateral motor coordination and functional motor skills for a complete picture of a child’s gross motor skills.

Children whose motor skills are delayed, or who have problems/needs in any of these areas, would benefit from a formal evaluation, and if necessary, a program of physical therapy. As with all developmental delays, early detection and treatment is more effective, and can prevent future problems or a worsening of a condition.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Pediatric Speech Therapy

Pediatric Behavioral Therapy

Private Therapy Clinic