Physiotherapy Success Story!

YES! I CAN WALK…

Have you ever heard about the developmental milestones of a child? I hope people who are parents know about it. 

Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age. This includes gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive, and social skills. 

Look at the given picture to learn about normal gross motor milestones and check if your child’s milestones match their current age. 

Now let me introduce you to our little champ, Sahil Salman, who was brought to Hope for Life Foundation at the age of 18 months with a complaint of delayed walking. Upon examination by the physiotherapist, it was observed that Sahil was able to sit without support but was not able to stand or walk independently. Physiotherapy sessions twice per week were carried out with the assistance of Sahil’s mother. A series of strengthening and weight-bearing exercises were carried out in each session. A big hurdle during the sessions was Sahil’s resistant behavior towards performing exercises, but he adapted the exercises gradually.

He showed progress very rapidly and started to take a few steps without support within 1 month. With a progression in his exercise regimen he was able to walk unsupported within a period of 2.5 months. According to his mother, he was able to play and roam around in the house independently and didn’t need any assistance for walking.
His success was impossible without his parents’ efforts, who followed the home exercise plan and given guidance regularly.
Sahil was discharged with lots of love after achieving the desired goal. 

It can be overwhelming if your child is exhibiting signs of developmental delays. Here are some tips if you feel your child has ongoing developmental delay. 

1. Consult a child specialist (pediatrician), early intervention specialist, or therapist.
2. Play, play, and play with your child. Play helps children learn life skills and increase their independence. 
3. Give visual clues. Children with developmental delays are often strong visual learners who just understand and retain what they see. 
4. Take help from the internet and learn more about it.