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Does My Child Need Therapy?

Click on each of the therapy disciplines below to read more regarding age related developmental information

More Questions?

 

Call our office and one of our patient care coordinators will be able to answer any additional questions you may have about Springboard Pediatric. If you’re not sure if your child needs therapy services, let our therapists take a peak! We offer free 10-15 minute consultations (virtual or in-person) with one of our amazing therapists. At the end of the consultation, you will know whether an evaluation is right for your child.  

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

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Birth to 3 Years Old Developmental Concerns

  • Muscle tone seems poor/ flaccid

  • When child is picked up they don't brace themselves, feels like dead weight

  • Difficulty consoling self, unusually fussy

  • Unable to bring hands together and bang toys

  • Slow to roll over, creep, sit or stand

  • Does not want to explore environment

  • Difficulty babbling

  • Cries or becomes tense when moved through space (like airplane)

  • Frequent fisting of hands after 6 months of age

  • Dislikes baths or waterplay

  • Does not choose age appropriate toys

  • Resists being held, is squirmy when cuddled too long, does not settle with touch

  • Sucking difficulties

  • Overly active, seeks excessive movement

  • Unable to settle down, sleep difficulties

  • Anxious or cries if child cannot see parent

       

3 to 5 Years Old Developmental Concerns

  • Clumsy, falls frequently, seems to trip over their own feet

  • Muscle tone seems poor / flaccid

  • When child is picked up they don't brace themselves, feels like dead weight

  • Easily tantrums, does not recover within a few minutes

  • Breaks crayons, pencil points, toys easily

  • Frequently says “I can't do it” to age appropriate self-care & play tasks

  • Overly active, unable to slow down, moves quickly from one toy to another

  • Delayed language development

  • Difficulty focusing attention, or over-focused and unable to shift attention to the next task

  • Dislikes bathing, haircuts, nail trimming and cuddling

  • Needs more practice than other children to learn new skills

  • Avoids playground activities

  • Unable to settle down, sleep difficulties

  • Dislikes coloring in lines, doing puzzles or cutting with scissors

  • Does not enjoy jumping, swings or having feet off the ground

 

6 to 15 Years Old Developmental Concerns

  • Clumsy, falls frequently, seem to trip over their own feet

  • Breaks pencil tips frequently and/or writes with heavy pressure

  • Dislikes handwriting, fatigues quickly with written class work

  • Poor self-esteem and self-confidence

  • Avoids gym class and sports activities

  • Hard time paying attention and following directions

  • Overly active, unable to slow down

  • Frequent letter reversals such as b and d; poor letter/word spacing

  • Difficulty focusing attention, or over-focused and unable to shift attention to the next task

  • Dislikes swimming, bathing, haircuts, nail trimming, or hugs

  • Needs more practice than other children to learn new skills

  • Overreacts to touch, smell, taste and sounds

  • Unable to settle down, sleep difficulties

  • Finds it difficult to make friends with children of the same age, prefers to play with adults or younger children rather than peers

  • Does not enjoy jumping, swings or having feet off the ground

 

Young Adults Developmental Concerns

  • Quickly fatigues, especially posture, slumps at desk

  • Clumsy with everyday activities and accident prone

  • Balance difficulties, becomes disoriented and/or fearful on elevators or escalators

  • Poor self-esteem and self-confidence

  • Disorganized in home and work activities

  • Hard time following several step instruction for motor task

  • Overly active, unable to slow down

  • Dislikes crowds or accidental jostling in public situations such as standing in line at the movie theater or shopping in store aisles

  • Difficulty focusing attention, or over-focused and unable to shift attention to the next task

  • Difficulty in maintaining intimate relationships, difficulty with physical closeness, hugs, or cuddling

  • Needs more practice than other people to learn new skills

 

*Adapted from OTA Watertown with permission (2005)

 

 

Signs your child may benefit from occupational therapy: 

 

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SPEECH THERAPY

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Birth to 3 months old Developmental Milestones:

  • Reacts to loud sounds

  • Calms down or smiles when spoken to

  • Recognizes your voice and calms down if crying

  • When feeding, starts or stops sucking in response to sound

  • Coos and makes pleasure sounds

  • Has a special way of crying for different needs

  • Smiles when he or she sees you

 

4 to 6 months old Developmental Milestones:

  • Follows sounds with his or her eyes

  • Responds to changes in the tone of your voice

  • Notices toys that make sound

  • Pays attention to music

  • Babbles in a speech-like way and uses many different sounds including sounds that begin with p, b, and m

  • Laughs

  • Babbles when excited or happy

  • Makes gurgling sounds when alone or playing with you

 

7 months to 1 Year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Enjoys playing peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake

  • Turns and looks in the direction of sounds

  • Listens when spoken to

  • Understands words for common items such as “cup,” “shoe,” or “juice”

  • Responds to requests (for example, “Come her”)

  • Babbles using long and short groups of sounds (for example, tata, upup, bibibi)

  • Babbles to get and keep attention

  • Communicates using gestures such as waving or holding up arms

  • Imitates different speech sounds

  • Has one or two words (for example, “hi,” “dog,” “dada,” “mama,”) by first birthday

 

1 or 2 year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Knows a few parts of the body and can point to them when asked

  • Follows simple commands (for example, “roll the ball”) and understands simple questions (for example, “Where’s your shoe?”) 

  • Enjoys simple stories, songs, and rhymes

  • Points to pictures, when named, in books

  • Acquires new words on a regular basis

  • Uses some one- or two-word questions (for example, “Where kitty?” or “Go bye-bye?”_

  • Puts two words together (for example, “more cookie”)

  • Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words 

 

2 to 3 Year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Has a word for almost everything

  • Talks about things that are not in the room

  • Uses two- to three-word phrases to talk about and ask for things

  • Uses k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds

  • Understands opposites like go-stop, big-little, up-down

  • Asks “why?”

  • Speaks in a way that is understood by family members and friends

  • Names objects to ask for them and to direct attention to them

 

3 to 4 Year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Hears you when you call from another room

  • Answers simple “Who?” “What?” “Where?” and “Why?” questions

  • Talks about activities at daycare, preschool, or friends’ homes

  • Uses sentences with four or more words

  • Speaks easily without having to repeat syllables or words

 

4 to 5 Year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it

  • Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school

  • Understands words for order, like first, next, and last.

  • Understands words for time, like yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

  • Uses sentences that give many details

  • Tells stories that stay on topic

  • Communicates easily with other children and adults

  • Keeps conversation going

  • Says most sounds correctly except for a few (l, r, s, v, z, ch, sh, th)

  • Uses rhyming words

  • Names some letters and numbers

  • Talks in different ways, depending on the listener and place. Your child may use short sentences with younger children. He may talk louder outside than inside.

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*This checklist is based upon "How Does Your Child Hear and Talk? (courtesy of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)

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Age appropriate speech and language therapy developmental milestones:

 

 

PHYSICAL THERAPY

​Birth to 3 months old Developmental Milestones:

  • Tolerates tummy time 

  • Brings hands to midline in mouth 

  • Visually tracks and engages with objects

 

4 to 6 months old Developmental Milestones:

  • Sits independently without propped support 

  • Pushes up on extended arms while on belly

  • Rolls to and from belly 

  • Pivots on belly 

  • Takes active weight through feet while in supported standing

 

7 to 9 months old Developmental Milestones:​

  • Moves in and out of sit 

  • Army crawls on belly

  • Creeps on hands and knees 

 

10 to 12 month old Developmental Milestones:​

  • Pulls to stand 

  • Lowers to floor with control

  • Cruises along furniture 

  • Free Standing 

  • Steps with one hand held 

 

13 to 15 month old Developmental Milestones:

  • Walking independently 

  • Transitioning from floor to stand independently 

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16 to 18 month old Developmental Milestones:​

  • Walking Up and Down Stairs (two feet per stair) with Use of Rail

  • Able to Play in a Squat Without Loss of Balance

  • Attempting to Run (looks more like a fast walk)

  • Completing Ball Skills Such as Kicking, Rolling and Catching

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18 to 24 month old Developmental Milestones:​​

  • Walking Up and Down Stairs (one foot per stair) and Use of Rail

  • Walking Backwards Without Loss of Balance

  • Jumping off a 6" Step with Both Feet on Take off and Landing

 

 2-3 year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Walking Up and Down Stairs (one foot per stair) WITHOUT Use of Rail

  • Running (with periods of both feet off ground)

  • Balancing on One Foot for 1-2 Seconds

  • Jumping with Both Feet on Take off and Landing

  • Jumping Forward 6" with Both Feet on Take off and Landing

  • Balancing almost Heel-Toe for 3 Seconds

 

3 to 4 Year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Galloping with good form Both Directions

  • Standing on Tip Toes for a 1-2 Seconds

  • Jumping forward 18" with both feet

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4 to 5 Year old Developmental Milestones:

  • Balancing on One Foot for 5-10 Seconds

  • Hoping on One Foot

  • Walking Up and Down Stairs (one foot per step) while Holding an Object

  • Completing and Independent Sit-Up

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Age appropriate physical therapy developmental milestones:

 

 

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FEEDING THERAPY

Does your child:

  • have ongoing poor weight gain (dropping percentiles on the growth curve) or weight loss?

  • have ongoing choking, gagging, or coughing during meals?

  • have ongoing problems with vomiting?

  • avoid all foods in a specific texture (wet, squishy, crunchy, etc.) or nutrition (meat, vegetables, starches, fruits, etc.) group?

  • have less than 20 foods that they are able to consistently eat? Especially if foods are being dropped over time with no new foods replacing those that were lost.

 

Has your child had:

  • more than one incident of nasal reflux (vomiting or spitting up out their nose)?

  • a traumatic choking incident, where the child choked on something and then subsequently stopped eating certain foods?

  • a history of eating and breathing coordination problems, with ongoing respiratory issues?

 

Was your child unable to:

  • transition to baby food purees by 10 months of age?

  • accept any table food solids by 12 months of age?

  • transition from the breast/bottle to a cup by 16 months of age?

  • wean off of baby foods by 16 months of age?

 

Have you (as a parent or caregiver)

  • reported the child as being “picky” at 2 or more well child checks?

  • reported that your infant cries and/or arches at most meals?

  • felt like mealtimes are a battle, and that you are always fighting about food with your child?

  • reported that your child is difficult for everyone to feed?

  • had a history of an eating disorder, in addition to having a child who is not meeting weight gain goals? (Please note – parents are not viewed as causing the feeding problem in their child, however, they may be more stressed around meals and need extra support.)

 

 

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