{"id":30340,"date":"2015-05-19T07:55:32","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T11:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemom.com\/?p=30340"},"modified":"2022-01-31T13:01:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T18:01:56","slug":"developmental-milestones-wolfson-childrens-rehabilitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemom.com\/ages-stages\/babies\/developmental-milestones-wolfson-childrens-rehabilitation\/","title":{"rendered":"Developmental Milestones: What\u2019s Normal, and When Can Wolfson Children\u2019s Rehabilitation Help Your Child?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Wolfson<\/a><\/p>\n

Some jokingly say that a parent\u2019s job is to worry, but most parents come equipped with instincts that usually win out when there\u2019s cause for concern. Many find themselves watching how their child moves, behaves, plays and communicates, looking for proper developmental progress during the first few years.<\/p>\n

Pediatricians and primary care providers play an important role during this time by monitoring development with charts and questions at each visit, but children grow at their own unique pace, sometimes making it hard to pinpoint a problem right away. Developmental milestones agreed upon by medical experts are established to give a general idea of what to expect at given ages; however, it\u2019s recommended that if a parent has doubts, it\u2019s best to get it checked out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe value our parents\u2019 input and work as a team with them,\u201d said Suzanne Barje, PT, a pediatric physical therapist and clinical supervisor for Wolfson Children\u2019s Rehabilitation<\/a> in Mandarin, one of six locations throughout North Florida and Southeast Georgia. \u201cIf a parent has a concern, I will urge them to follow up with an evaluation because it provides baseline data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wolfson Children\u2019s Rehabilitation centers see patients who range in age from newborn to 18. Some have congenital conditions like cerebral palsy<\/a>, Down syndrome<\/a> or fall along the autism<\/a> spectrum, while others don\u2019t have a diagnosis for their delay. Some children develop normally until dynamics change dramatically \u2013 such as going from sitting to standing \u2013 and the adjustment just takes them extra time.<\/p>\n

\u201cRed flags are things like not rolling over at six months, not sitting alone by nine months or not making any attempts to walk by 16 months,\u201d said Barje.<\/p>\n

A big factor in developmental progress is environmental: how much exposure a child gets to experiences that allow him or her more freedom to move. Babies who get a lot of tummy time have a better opportunity to explore surroundings, while those who spend more time in swings and bouncy seats don\u2019t, and may take longer to acquire certain skills.<\/p>\n

Nikki Hallick, OT, with Wolfson Children\u2019s Rehabilitation at Baptist Clay Medical Campus<\/a> in Fleming Island, said that delays are found by using a variety of approaches including standardized assessments, observation of play skills and interviews with parents. Her role as a pediatric occupational therapist is to work with children to strengthen their ability to use the upper body, eyes and the small muscles of the fingers and hands to pick up and move objects during play or meal time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI collaborate with the child\u2019s parents to identify areas of concern, and then develop treatment goals through appropriate, play-based activities like games and crafts to help the child strengthen skills and reach new milestones,\u201d said Hallick.<\/p>\n

When it comes to delays related to articulation and language, pediatric speech-language pathologist Jordan Swain, MS, CCC-SLP, at Wolfson Children\u2019s Rehabilitation in Mandarin, works with children to increase their ability to communicate effectively. This includes developing pre-language skills, improving vocabulary and comprehension, increasing intelligibility, and treating voice and fluency disorders. Speech therapy goes a long way towards building a new set of skills and self-confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication is essential for learning, and it is the foundation for all social skills,\u201d said Swain. \u201cEarly intervention is a key component to developing these skills in children presenting with language delays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeding therapists<\/a> are also available to treat children with food sensitivities, motor difficulties related to chewing, and swallowing difficulties.<\/p>\n

Even though a child may not fall within a certain range for a milestone, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean anything is amiss. But if there is a problem, the good news is that the valuable services offered by highly skilled pediatric rehabilitation therapists can help manage and improve a child\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Standard Developmentally?<\/h3>\n

Gross motor skills<\/strong><\/p>\n