Pediatric Physical Therapy for Children and Teens

The Fox Valley Physical Therapy and Wellness family of experts is here to help your family live life to its fullest. We offer specialized physical therapy and wellness programs for children and teens. Kids can learn to move with greater ease and independence with pediatric physical therapy.

What kinds of childhood conditions respond to physical therapy?

Kids face many physical hurdles during their growing years. Injuries, illnesses and simple bad habits can make things worse. Our child physical therapists have deep expertise in helping kids overcome these issues and more.

• Head tilting (torticollis)
• Flat heads for infants (plagiocephaly)
• Developmental delay
• Decreased muscle tone (hypotonia)
• Injury to shoulder, arm and hand nerves (brachial plexus injury)
• Curved or rotated spine (scoliosis)
• Down syndrome
• Cerebral palsy
• Spina bifida
• Muscular dystrophy
• Toe-walking
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Autism
• Recovery from surgery
• Sensory processing issues or sensory integration dysfunction
• Constipation and bedwetting
• Trouble learning how to walk or crawl
• Inability to sit or stand without support
• Trouble walking or running without tripping or falling
• Getting unusually tired while playing or inability to keep up with other kids of the same age
• Trouble learning to play sports

At what age should my child start physical therapy?

By starting treatment as early as possible, you increase your child’s potential for positive change. Our specially trained pediatric physical therapists work with children as young as newborns. Their credentials include certification from the State of Illinois to evaluate and treat kids under 3 years old.

How can I find out whether pediatric physical therapy will help my child?

At Fox Valley Physical Therapy and Wellness, we’re dedicated to helping kids live better, more fulfilling lives. We’re here to help your child overcome issues from mild to severe. If you think your child might benefit from our services, contact us today. We offer a free, 15-minute preliminary screening for kids whose parents are concerned about some aspect of their physical development. What happens when a screening uncovers a specific problem that might improve with child physical therapy? We’ll schedule a thorough evaluation to build a plan for moving forward.

What is pediatric physical therapy like?

Child Evaluation

First, we perform a thorough evaluation of your child to identify issues and treatment options. We’ll discuss the evaluation results with you and your child, if he or she is old enough. Then, we’ll collaborate with your child’s other caregivers such as doctors, teachers and other therapists. The result is a personalized treatment plan that focuses on your child’s needs and long-term success.

Child Physical Therapy Process

Once we have established a plan, we’ll set up a regular schedule for your child’s visits to our clinic. Depending on his or her plan, we may use one or more of the following therapies.

• Hands-on neurodevelopmental treatment for brain injuries and diseases
• Kinesiotaping for muscle support, improved circulation and healing
• Gait analysis (biomechanic evaluation) and orthotic prescription
• Massage and pressure on trigger points (myofascial release)
• Sensory integration therapy for kids with autism and other sensory processing issues
• Manual physical therapies such as soft tissue and joint mobilization

Family involvement

Consistency is key to the success of child physical therapy. For that reason, we always involve the entire family in the plan as much as possible. Your child’s personal plan will include activities and therapies you and your family can do together.

Monitoring progress

Our original plan for your child’s therapy serves as a baseline against which we’ll measure progress. From time to time, we’ll meet with you to review our progress. We’ll evaluate our goals and set new ones if the time is right. If we think new therapies might help, we’ll discuss those, too.

Will the process be scary or traumatizing for my child?

Our well-trained pediatric physical therapists understand the unique needs of this age group. They have many years of experience working with kids to improve their mobility and function. We provide a friendly and motivating environment to make each visit fun and stimulating!

“Mary Kelly has been working with our son for over a year now. Thanks to her incredible insight, she has been able to unravel several issues that no other therapist had even identified. With her perspective, patience, and extensive experience, Mary has given our son the opportunity to overcome his physical challenges. Our community is so fortunate to have Mary and Chris Kelly and their entire staff at Fox Valley Physical Therapy and Wellness!!”