Physical therapy is not just for people recovering from knee of back surgery. Like going to the dentist to prevent cavities or your primary care physician to check your cholesterol, going to a physical therapist can help identify and treat musculoskeletal deficits that may negatively impact the your child’s experience at school.

Being the last kiddo picked for a basketball team in gym class doesn’t necessarily mean your child needs P.T. Kids’ coordination can be affected by many things, including age-appropriate limitations based on age, maturity and level of focus. Nevertheless, if you believe your child may be in need of help, take a quick look at the lost of questions below:

• Can your child navigate her classroom without tripping or falling over obstacles (desks, chairs, kids, rugs, etc).

• Can he get up from circle time at the floor, sit down on the floor from standing, get in and out of a classroom chair without a loss of balance.

• Can she negotiate the hallways with and without other students without falling or needing help to stay in a line or keep pace with her peers

• On the playground, can they participate in recess activities with her friends.  Can she climb the slide, sit safely on a swing, walk or run on the grass/blacktop/rubber mulch.

• Are his gross motor skills (jumping, throwing/catching, kicking a ball, hopping, galloping, etc) developed enough to allow him to participate in a form of physical education class?

• Can they safely get onto and off of the bus?

If you believe the quality of your child's body awareness and coordination might be affecting their safety of quality of their education, consult a qualified physical therapist or talk to your doctor about options. Consider talking with your child’s school/teachers as well to brainstorm potential solutions. Moving our body in constructive and safe ways, whether dance, sports or play is very important for a child’s brain develpment and overall health. Integrating safe and constructive physical activity into the curriculum can be a fun and easy to help improve coordination and facilitate learning.