Welcome To The Physical Therapy Page
Physical Therapists (PT) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) provide gross motor therapeutic activities and interventions to promote successful independence and participation within the student's educational environment. School-based physical therapy works to facilitate gross motor skills including:
- Walking, standing, and sitting up by providing exercises and activities to enhance the general strength and endurance, as well as body control
- Maximize posture, balance and coordination and utilize standing or seated posiitoning devices to improve student performance and prevent deformities
- Facilitate specific motor skills necessary for participation in physical education
- Ensure student's physical safety and access to their environment and the community
- Enhance vocational and transitional skills
- Support educational teams and staff
Our physical therapy team has compiled several online resources and activities to encourage gross motor development at home!
Online Resources for Students and Families
BRAIN BREAKS PACKET --This packet offers wonderful activities to give students a BREAK! It offers many activities, but still beneficial to improving strength, balance and positioning.
Pink Oatmeal - This website offers several free and low cost activities for several areas of physical therapy including strengthening, coordination, motor planning, and stability.
Dinosaur Physical Therapy - This blog-style website is very informative. It provides information regarding developmental milestones in children as well as provide teaching strategies, condition-related information, and tools to assist you and your child to improve their gross motor development from an infant to school-aged.
GoNoodle - This website is a great resource for families - there are many interactive videos that students love to move and dance to!
Activities Suggested for Preschool Students
BEDTIME MARCH -- This is a nightly poem that students can read and perform each action to address skills such as motor control, gross motor and cognitive skills, balance and coordination.
Bug Theme Yoga Positions
Animal Walks
Activities Suggested for School-aged Students
10 Warm-up Exercises
Animal Walks
Lower Extremity Strengthening Exercises
Wheelchair Gross Motor Activities
Lower Extremity Strengthening --This worksheet includes leg and core exercises to improve strength.
Games and Activities --This packet offers several fun and beneficial games that can be performed in the home!
Universal Activities for All Age Groups
Household Items to Develop Gross Motor Skills --This packet includes 40 household objects that can be used for activities to improve gross motor skills.
Yoga Positions