By Peggy Giesen, teli Physical Therapist
Understanding teli’s teletherapy during COVID-19
Your child has been approved for Early Intervention and you want to get started. Learn about teli’s physical therapy teletherapy sessions.
What does teli Physical Therapy teletherapy look like?
A Physical Therapist (PT) is focused on helping your child with physical movement and strength development. They specialize in working with the family and child through an individualized exercise and treatment plan to improve motor skills. Assessing your child’s physical development enables your PT to tailor an early intervention program that is best suited to their needs. With a PT’s guidance, children learn to move in the natural sequence from lying flat to rolling, sitting, crawling and beyond. Improving muscle coordination and strength in children can help to prepare them for healthy physical activity in their everyday life.
Through teletherapy, treatment is very similar to having the therapist in your home. During a teletherapy session, the PT will be getting to know you and your child in the same way they would if you were face to face.
Through observation and discussion that happens through use of Zoom or FaceTime, your PT will get a feel for the individual needs of your child. She may talk to you about your goals for your child or ask you “what would you like to work on today?” or “what routine worked well since we were together last?”
You will work with your child guided by the PT and her observation of your child as you go through the activities with her instruction. You will be learning hands on techniques to use to work with your child between teletherapy sessions to keep them on track.
Sharing your family routines and activities is key as they become the framework for your early intervention teletherapy. Your PT will use that input along with her own observations and work with you when creating your child’s unique plan. Together you will problem solve ways to support your child’s development. You and your PT will identify key strategies for activities during the teletherapy session as well as options to explore with your child before the next session.
What might a physical therapy teletherapy session help address?
Early Intervention is designed to help your child work on the specific areas of development that they may find challenging. A teletherapy session can address any number of parent goals for their children using Zoom or FaceTime, just as they would be addressed if the PT was in your home.
We have received very positive feedback from our parents regarding these teletherapy sessions because they continue to see their child making progress. As a child achieves new goals, the only thing both the families and our therapists say they miss are the hugs to celebrate success!
To provide an example, meet Danny, a 9-month-old child whose mother was concerned that he was not crawling like other children. Moving on the floor was difficult for Danny; he didn’t like being on his tummy and was content to lay on his back, not rolling over. In observing their family’s environment, the PT noticed some toys around Danny and was curious if Mom would typically hand them to Danny to play.
His PT discussed with mom that some of Danny’s favorite toys might serve as an incentive for Danny to move. Through her electronic device, the PT used toys and a baby doll to provide demonstration while explaining to and guiding mom on how to help Danny move to explore his environment. Through demonstration, practice and discussion, over time Danny rolled over, and eventually learned to crawl to get to his toys. This was accomplished by mom and the PT working together during each teletherapy session, sharing ideas and strategies to help Danny achieve the goal of crawling.
teli Early Intervention Teletherapy
Improving muscle coordination and strength in children, especially for those with developmental delays, can help to prepare them for healthy physical activity in their everyday life.
In the current environment caused by the pandemic,, we have the opportunity to pursue solutions in new and different ways.
If you would like to consider teli early intervention tele-sessions, just give us a call at 412-922-8322 and we can get you started in no time to help your child reach their full potential!
