It’s a normal for a parent to be concerned with the development of his or her child. Did you know you can have your child’s developmental progress and wellness assessed by a qualified and licensed physical therapist? Screening are typically done through request of the parent. Developmental wellness screenings occur at regular intervals (e.g. six months, 12 months, 18 months, two years, then on a yearly basis all the way up to 12 years)
The therapist will normally look at your child’s motor skills—both gross and fine. Gross motor skills are the “larger” movements that use the larger muscles of the body. (e.g., rolling over, sitting up, etc). Fine motor skills would include the smaller movements like grasping small objects or using the tongue properly.
Depending on your child’s age, the therapist might also look at his or her balance and coordination, how he or she walks, and how he or she performs his or her day-to-day activities.
It is not unusual for a developmental wellness screening to include assessment of oral motor skills—both articulation and feeding. Even your child’s speech, if he or she is speaking.
A developmental wellness screening performed by a licensed physical therapist can put your child’s developmental worries at ease.