When to come and see a paediatric physiotherapist
I often get asked by parents when they should have come in to see me in the clinic and my answer is always as soon as they feel something is not quite right! Earlier intervention means faster results ! Babies and young kids are very resilient and often recover very quickly, however if you notice any ongoing symptoms or observations that you do not feel quite right about, most likely you are correct as you are the expert of your child!
Symptoms that we would encourage you to make a consult
In babies
- Uneven head shape
-Tilted head when lying on back
-Tilted head when doing tummy time
-Tripod crawling ( crawling sitting on bottom)
-Crawling with one leg lifted
-Preference to look one side or use only one hand
Older children
-Frequent falls, trips and bumping into things
-General delays or stagnation in milestone development
-Inability to sit and engage in activities in Kinder/ Childcare/School
-Poor posture
-Decreased self-regulation and attention as per their age group normative range
-Ongoing pain complaints
What to expect during your consult
During our first sessions a comprehensive history and discussion of your concerns will commence the session. We strive to be as child led as possible and try to complete our assessment at the initial consult but we are always observing your child and monitoring changes at each subsequent session too. We use play-based activities such as obstacle courses and games to make therapy time fun and for our younger babies floor time with targeted exercises using simple toys.
Tips for playtime at home
-Less is more! Letting our children explore and use their creativity requires space and boredom sometimes. Having 3-5 toys out allows children to fully engage and allows you opportunity to guide more structured play time.
-Investing in toys that promote gross motor development such as wobble boards, balance beams, soft play pieces and balls
- Investing in toys that promote fine motor development that can also be home made and simple such as transferring pasta into a jar or for older children putting paddle pop sticks into a bottle.
- Get kids to help out at home with chores, it is amazing how many chores require gross and fine motor control! Eg, helping to push laundry baskets , balance and carry folded / or unfolded clothes to the room , sweeping and using a dustpan for ordination and fine motor control
Price List
Initial consult 45min : $160
Subsequent consult 30min : $120
Medicare and private health care rebates can be claimed from these costs , claim amount for private health is dependent on your cover level, we advise that you contact your provider to find out the out of pocket cost you may incur