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What are paediatric developmental conditions?
Developmental conditions are when a child does not progress as expected in the achievement of specific milestones such as learning to sit, crawl, walk or talk.
There can be many different causes of developmental problems such as genetic problems, problems during pregnancy or birth, and problems during early infancy or childhood such as infection or head injury. Often there is no identifiable cause.
Above: Mobility exercises between the parallel bars supervised by an experienced physiotherapistWhat are the types of developmental conditions in children?
Several developmental conditions can occur in children. These can include:
What are the signs of developmental conditions in children?
Developmental delay can affect behaviour, physical abilities, vision, speech and hearing. Some common signs include:
- Problems with concentration, reduced eye contact and easily frustrated
- Slow to achieve milestones, floppy or stiff limbs, clumsiness
- Difficulty following moving objects, focussing eyes, crossed or turned eyes
- Small or deformed ears, does not startle to loud noise or respond when called
- Softly spoken or very loud voice, unable to pronounce words appropriate to their age
Above: Postural and toning exercises to reduce biomechanical abnormalitiesHow can physiotherapy help children with developmental conditions?
Physiotherapy treatment aims to promote a child’s independence and ability to reach physical milestones. Treatment will be specific to a child’s needs, age and abilities and our team of specialist physiotherapists will often use fun games and activities to help promote normal physical development. Our specialised physiotherapists liaise closely with parents, carers and teachers to help them understand the child’s needs and how they can help promote future independence.
The benefits of physiotherapy are:
- Achievement of physical milestones such as sitting, crawling and standing
- Improved independence in activities of daily living
- Improved posture, muscle strength, balance and coordination
- Improved confidence
