Let’s Stop Tip-Toeing Around Toe Walking!

 

What is toe walking? 

Toe walking can be described as walking on the toes or the balls of our feet without heel contact on the ground. It commonly can be described as your child always on their “tiptoes”.  Some children with diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or autism may be seen walking on their toes. If a child is toe walking for an unknown cause, it can be described as idiopathic toe walking. Idiopathic toe walking is characterized by toe walking that is not occurring because of an underlying anatomical or neuromuscular cause. Factors that may play into idiopathic toe walking include;

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Jump into fall with gross motor activities for all!

 

The weather is getting colder and the leaves are starting to change colors which means it’s fall here in Chicago! These activities are perfect for outdoor play, as well as indoor play that will help promote gross motor development for your child’s balance, strength, coordination, and motor planning skills. These activities will have your child FALLing in love with all things FALL!

What are gross motor activities and why are they important?

Gross motor activities are important for your child’s development and mobility which include crawling, walking, jumping, running, stairs, throwing, and kicking. These skills are seen throughout the development of your child as they gain more strength and mobility! Gross motor development is essential to your child’s physical well-being as well as their social and emotional growth. Creating activities that promote strengthening, balance, coordination, and motor planning are ways you can help your child meet these developmental milestones in your own home or in the community! 

Check out some of these gross motor activities that your child can enjoy this fall!

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Crawling, Can My Child Skip It?

 

Why is crawling such a big deal? What if my child doesn’t seem interested in crawling? These are all common questions that are brought up by parents. Crawling is much more than just a means of mobility. It provides a child with some important strengthening, coordination, and cognitive benefits that will help them much later than the baby and toddler years.  

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Criss Cross Your Midline!

The crowd goes wild! Your child has just swung and hit their first home run! They run around the bases and go to touch home plate. Your child is showered with high-fives from teammates on the left and right. Among other things, in order for your child to have successfully swung and hit a home run, run around the bases, and give high-fives to his teammates, your child would have to have done one really important thing… cross midline! The ability to cross midline and interact with all areas of our environment is an important skill for all of us to learn. Let’s explore!

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Is My Child Doing What They Should? Milestones from 1 to 5 years

 

Do you ever find yourself comparing your child to their peers at the park or playground? Or maybe even comparing them to their older sibling? Do you feel like they are behind with their motor skills? What truly is “age appropriate”? In this post, we will cover age-appropriate milestones from age 1 to 5 years and what to do if your child isn’t hitting their milestones on time. 

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Congenital Muscular Torticollis: What is it and how can I help my child?

Infant smiling while laying on back

You may have heard the strange medical term “torticollis” from your pediatrician, neighbor, or friend. Frankly, it can be overwhelming and quite confusing to understand. In this post, we will review what torticollis is, reasons why babies may develop a torticollis, what parents can look for if they have concerns, associated impairments if left untreated, and tips on ways to prevent torticollis. 

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Early Intervention Initial Evaluation: What to Expect

Making the call to Early Intervention (EI) can be the daunting first step in addressing developmental concerns for your child. What comes next? PlayWorks Therapy’s Director of Developmental Therapy, Kim Shlaes, explains what to expect during an Illinois Early Intervention initial evaluation.

Service Coordinator
After a referral is made for your child, a service coordinator is assigned to your case. The service coordinator:

  • Is the point of contact for you and your family to help guide you through the EI process.
  • Is responsible for conducting an intake meeting to collect all the needed information and paperwork to set up an initial evaluation.
  • Coordinates the evaluation and ongoing services, should your child qualify.
  • Is responsible for writing and updating the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) based on recommendations made by providers during their initial evaluation, goals you and your family have for your child, and assessments while in EI.
  • Is responsible for informing a family of their rights while in EI.
  • Helps facilitate the transition from EI as the child ages out of the program at three years old.

Initial Evaluation
Next, your service coordinator organizes a team of at least two credentialed evaluators. The evaluation team is selected based on developmental concerns you have for your child. An evaluation team typically has a combination of the following: developmental therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and/or speech and language pathologist. Other providers, such as social workers, nutritionists, interpreters, and others are added to an evaluation team as needed.

The initial evaluation typically takes about one hour to complete. A parent/guardian is required to attend the evaluation. A typical evaluation follows the following routine:

  • Review reasons for the referral to EI, including parental and pediatrician concerns.
  • Review the child’s birth and medical history. The evaluators will also ask questions about your child’s milestones, their social history (including who your child lives with, who cares for your child during the day, any languages your child is exposed to), and your child’s opportunities to socialize with other children.
  • The evaluators take turns playing with your child.
  • The evaluators ask you several questions about your child’s development (i.e. how your child completes “self-help” skills such as eating and dressing, how they socialize with other children, how they communicate with you, how they process sensory information, etc.).
  • Evaluators then score their assessments and make recommendations for ongoing therapy or additional evaluations. If your child qualifies for services, you and the evaluators write discipline specific goals for your child, based on what your family wants to target while in EI. This part of the evaluation is the “IFSP meeting”.

What comes next?
Should you decide to move forward with Early Intervention services, your service coordinator organizes a team of credentialed therapists to provide service to your child. These therapists contact you directly to schedule your child’s therapy sessions, which are held in a natural environment for your child, most commonly your home or their school/daycare. Services typically begin within a few weeks of the initial evaluation.

Questions or concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development or the Early Intervention process, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Kimberly Shlaes, MAT, DT
Director of Developmental Therapy Services

Photo Credit: willingness.com.mt/types-of-play-therapy/