Pediatric physical therapists are trained to evaluate and manage a variety of developmental, neuromuscular, congenital, skeletal, and acquired diseases and disorders in infants, children and adolescents. They focus on improving the child’s gross and fine motor skills, coordination, strength, endurance, balance, gait and mobility as well as work on motor learning and management of poor posture. Pediatric physical therapy promotes a child's independence, increasing their participation, motor development and function, improves their strength, enhances their learning opportunities, and eases care giving for family members.
Physical therapists use their expertise in movement and apply clinical reasoning through the process of examination, evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention. As primary health care providers, PTs also promote health and wellness as they implement a wide variety of supports for children from infancy through adolescence in collaboration with their families and other medical, educational, developmental, and rehabilitation specialists.
