Alignment- To achieve balanced muscle control you must begin with alignment. This will require ongoing attention to areas such as joints, muscle lengths, and habits that may create poor postures. Paying specific attention to positive alignment will encourage your child to live as free from orthopedic problems as possible.

Mobility & Balance- These two areas are necessary so your child can actively explore their environment. Continued improvements to these areas will encourage a variety of movement patterns. Allowing your child to safely and efficiently gain greater mobility.

Gross Motor Skills- Are movements that require the use of the large muscles of the body such as the head, arms, legs, trunk and hips. Some examples of these include head control, rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, running and jumping. By making it possible for your child to move around their environment you will lay the foundation for progress in other areas as well.

                                                        

              Outline of Physical Therapy Development Gross Motor Skills:

0-3 Months: Head control- The child being able to hold his/her head up and turn in both directions against gravity, while on belly, stomach or being held.

4–5 Months: Child can hold hands and pull themselves to a sitting position.
Able to reach for an object while on belly, and push up on arms.
Lots of kicking, and belly time-floor time recommended.
Initiating rolling activities.

6-7 Months: Rolling consecutively, belly to back and back to belly. Initiating starting to pull body forward on belly-commando crawling. Lots of feet play, hand to feet. Prop sitting

8-9 Months: Sitting balance increases-gets in and out of sitting position, creeping on hands and knees-crawling

10-11 Months: Sitting, starting to pull to stand, cruising around furniture, lowering self back to bottom from stand, hand held walking

12-14 Months: Tall kneel, up and down stairs on belly, standing and pivoting around, beginner walking skills, into increase balance of walking

15-17 Months: Walks by self, walks up steps holding handrail, initiates kicking of ball, walking sideways, throwing ball

18-23 Months: Increase balance and coordination activities, walking, standing, running, beginning to jump off of objects, jumping up and down

24-29 Months: Walks down steps using alternating steps, holding hand rail, jumps off of objects, throwing balls, standing on one foot, walking on tiptoes, walking backwards, walking balance beam, walking in circles

30-35 Months: Walks down steps alternating without support, kicking ball, catching ball, jumping hurdles, jumps forward, hopping

36-41 Months: Riding tricycle, bouncing balls, going up and down steps alternating feet without handrail, skipping, standing on one foot

42-50 Months: On tiptoes hands above head- ballerina, jumping forward-increase distances, faster running, walks line forward,

51-54 Months: Jumps up and touches objects, jumps forward on one foot, runs and stops quickly

55-58 Months: Walks line backwards, hops consecutively, somersaults,

59-62 Months: Galloping, turning jumps, and standing broad jumps

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