October is physical therapy month! As a person that has seen firsthand the impact that a physical therapist has made in the lives of children that I have served, I cannot say "thank you" loudly enough!

Physical therapists provide children with developmental delays with the tools that they need to be more successful in everyday life. Approximately 14% of children in the population have developmental delays and physical therapy is crucial to reducing these numbers.

Children can show motor skills delays as early as 4 months old. The first sign is usually being unable to hold their head up.  Physical therapists can work with a child and their family to assist in this process in making each more age appropriate. Additional early signs of developmental delays in the gross motor area are not being able to sit unassisted and not walking without assistance around one year of age. Physical therapists work on gross motor coordination as well as ways to increase muscle strength. Many of these gross motor skills are necessary to complete daily activities. As a parent, you want your child to have the physical coordination and muscle strength to bend down and retrieve a dropped cup. That seems like such a simple task, but it is not possible for some children without the guidance of a physical therapist.

Throwing a ball is a very important skill in the lives of children, as is running, jumping and playing with their friends. If a child has gross motor delays, it is the physical therapist that provides guidance on how to overcome these obstacles. The support that physical therapists provide to their patients is indescribable. They love the families and teach the families how to help their children with daily activities.

SmileMakers provides the field of physical therapy with many toys that are beneficial to them while they are working with their patients. These toys provide fun activities that make it seem like the therapy is nothing but play. One of the great toys that SmileMakers has is a Jungle Play and Train Table that can be used to work on many areas of development, especially physical therapy. This toy will allow children to stand to increase muscle strength, cruise the toy to create confidence in standing and walking, and reach to work on many important gross motor skills.

SmileMakers wants to thank Physical Therapists for the work that you are doing to improve the lives of the children you serve and let you know that we're here for you! If you have any questions or suggestions for ways we can make your life easier, please contact us!