Do/did your toddlers enjoy PT?

[Spoonful of Sugar]

Hi everyone,
My daughter is a year and a half old and has recently started PT. I figured it would be like playing for her and they would find ways to make it fun. But she really hates it because it's frustrating for her. Of course, they are trying to make her do things she cannot do. I understand that that would have to be part of it, otherwise she won't progress, but I wish there was some way that it could be fun for her instead of work. I don't want to push her so hard when she's so young, and she hasn't been diagnosed with anything, she's just way behind in some of her gross motor skills (though some are right on target). I'm just wondering if anyone else had a kid who hated PT and spent most of the time crying because they couldn't do the things they were being asked to do? If so, did you perservere? Or did your kids love it and see it as play?

 

[dyna]

Gson has been in PT OT an speech since he was 9 months old now 2 1/2 yrs old. More often than not he hates all 3 some days are better than others. Some sessions are better than others he gets at least 1 therapy a day sometimes 2.....they are helping slowly!

Finally the speech has taken off in just the last 2 or 3 months. The physical seems to be the hardest for him we work with him other times than his scheduled therapy time too. He's had plaxtick kids slide in house...swing in house for awhile lots of ridem push with feet toys etc but does not have safe yard to play in at home so we made the living room a playground so to speak.

It was not until about 1 yr ago when gson was 18 months old that he was dx'd with perventricular lukomyalsia...simular to cerbal palsy he has a very mild case it seems.

In his case it has caused low muscle tone which is part of what even the speech problem is.

NOOOOOOOOOO gson does not always like therapy but we all feel it is important for him to be all he can be......

 

[sl_underwood]

My son has loved PT from the start. OT and Speech, not so much but PT, he adores. His physical therapist has been a godsend. She found he loves to swim so they do some aquatic therapy. She also found through the Ambucs here a special bike for him and it cost us nothing but he can use it at home to strengthen his muscles. Without her, our son would definitely not be where he is now. If your dd hates it, I would find out why. Maybe your therapist could try a different approach. I know it cant always be fun and games but I think children acheive better when they are enjoying what they are doing.

 

[photographymom517]

When my pediatrician told me she was referring my DS to PT, I had no idea what to expect. He was only 3 1/2 months old at the time. He had torticollis (which is when your head only looks one way) but it was very mild. We went to PT 2-3 times a week for about 6 1/2 months. He was too young to really understand what was going on, but I could tell it was confusing & uncomfortable for him. I had trouble at first & would cry when they did things to him. It was hard for me to watch because he was usually in pain during PT. They explained to me that it would be more beneficial for both of us if I tried to be strong for him. I needed to focus on the procedures of what to do (because I had to continue it at home on the days I wasn't at PT) as well as not being upset (because it upset him more). It took a few weeks, but I just tried telling myself I had to look happy so he wouldn't be in pain. It ended up getting better for both of us. I took some of his toys with us to PT & he barely paid attention to the lady because he had something else to focus on. This always can't be done, it just happened that with his type of therapy, he was laying down & could play with his toys. Plus as I said, I didn't have a lot of trouble because he was too young to understand. It did break my heart though when I saw him in pain! It was frustrating not to be able to take away the pain. I was also lucky to get a very, very nice therapist...she explained things to me (like how I shouldn't feel helpless, how to be strong for him, etc) I thought it was nice of her to go above & beyond her job to help me deal with it!

 

[koolaidmoms]

DS, now 6 has had PT on and off since he was 3 mo. old. When he was really young he did not care about PT as it was attention for him so he liked it.

But, by the time he was about 2 or so it was not so much fun for him anymore. Things were more difficult and frustrating for him so we had the teacher ease back a bit so they were not trying to take such big steps in his progression. He was definitely a baby steps kind of kid. He needed to take it in small bits or he would just stop and sit on the floor and not go any further. They had to do quite a bit of rewards with him such as if you do this thing you don't like for a few minutes, we will do something you do like for a while after or they gave him cheerios and stickers as rewards.

He is now in 1st grade and will be testing out at the end of this school year from PT and he is so excited. He will no longer be pulled from his classroom and miss part of each day.

So yes. My son HATED PT but we got through it. It took a really creative patient teacher both before age 4 and after age 4 to get him through it and he has done amazingly well.

 

[Spoonful of Sugar]

Thanks for responding everyone. I guess it's hard for me to put DD through something she doesn't like since I don't know how necessary it is. I just wish I knew what was causing the delay so I could make an informed decision on treatment. Anyway, for now we're easing up a bit, but still doing some PT in a playgroup, rather than one-on-one. Hopefully she'll just start catching up and we can stop worrying about it.

 

[kirstenb1]

Our dd was in PT from 11-19 mths. She learned how to sit up, crawl, then walk. She didn't enjoy it, but didn't hate it either. It's hard work, but what a payoff!!!

 

[kstugan]

My son has been doing therapy since he came home from the hospital at
4 mths old. He is now 7 yrs old. He has PVL, which is the brain damage and
cerebral palsy. We have had him in PT at least twice a week since he was young and feel that the early therapy is why he is doing so well now and walking. He has done hippotherapy since he was 2 1/2. The horse mimics the walk of a human and strengthens their trunk. We believe it is a big part of the reason he started walking at 4. He has not always enjoyed his PT, but we still made him do it because we knew what he faced without it.
I think that the more therapy they can get when they are young, the better they will do in the long run.

 

[dyna]

kstugan


PLEASE pm me my gson now 2 1/2 also has PVL dd an I would both love to talk with you please....

 

[kstugan]

I just talk to the billing manager at my son's therapy center and he only has
about 3 weeks of therapy left and then they are denying him any more therapy. They say that since he has had therapy for 3 straight years and is not rehabilitated yet, that he does not require any more therapy. As anyone knows with cerebral palsy, no child will ever be rehabilitated for life. It is a life long disability. He is also going through a growth spurt right now, so he is tighter than he has ever been. We are going to join several other parents who's children are having the same issues to repeal the decision. If he does not continue his therapy, we are looking at ortho surgery even sooner than we were planning.
This is another reason why I would get your children involved in all the therapy that is offered to them when they are younger. You never know what is going to happen in the future.

 

[cquick]

Yes, you must persever with the PT. We have a 32 y ear old son with CP, seizure disorder, low IQ, low vision. He hasn't always like his PT, especailly the stretching!
And we did a ver intensive program witih him for 4 years through the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential. There was a LOT of work involved,and he didn't like all of it, but we did try to make it fun, and joyful......

Hang in there!

 

[LavenderPeach]

Have you thought about seeing a different therapist? Sometimes it can take a few tries to get a good match. My DS has had many different therapists and most have been great but there have been a few that just didn't work out for us. Don't be afraid to switch therapists and make your wishes known. Therapy isn't always going to be fun but the therapist should make sure that it's generally a positive experience (even though there will be frustrating times) and not something your DD is going to dread each time.

 

[Spoonful of Sugar]

Well, we are going to try the PT and OT again, this time in our home. I think this will help DD to feel more comfortable and perhaps enjoy it or at least tolerate it more. We will be starting that next week, so we'll see how it goes. In the meantime, DD has learned on her own how to stand up! For more of an update you can see my other post from tonight, Doing the happy dance!

 

[Danislee]

I had P.T. from about age 3 to age 14. I'm back in it again now, at 24, (but it's cause I actually got an injury doing Tae Kwon Do.) I hated most P.T. I think a lot of that stems from the fact that I am lucky, my mental development wasn't hindered nearly as much as my physical. So, I knew what was happening, and if it hurt, why would I want to do it? I also have to say I am stubborn, but I hate being babied. If a therapist baby talked me, I'd get very frustrated. I also had sort of, woman in labor issues. Therapist says: "we can do this." I would say, "We aren't doing anything. I am."

It was very hard for my parents, usually it was Mom who was with me, to watch me be frustrated or in pain. I was also quite loud, lung function has never been an issue...

I knew a lot of kids with disabilities because my dad is active with the Elks organization. There were a lot of kids who had problems similar to mine, one girl in particular was about my age. Her parents took a completely different approach with her. They never forced her to wear her leg braces if she didn't want to, any time she fell they picked her up, if she cried, she got her way. She didn't have to go to therapy if she didn't want to.

My parents did what the doctors said. Leg braces on, I went to therapy, and when I fell, (not a major fall,) it was me who had to pick me up.

All four parents were feeling what you are, and here are the results. The girl I grew up with is still in a wheelchair, and hasn't physically progressed much further. (I know everyone is different, so therapy isn't the only thing in play here.)

Me: I can walk, I can run (slowly,) my balance is not super great, and I do get tired more easily than others. If I get bumped/trip, it is very likely that I'll topple. Stairs aren't easy, but I can, and I can walk further than I used to. I used to use the chair all the time, now I've progressed to walker, to crutches, to just the leg braces, now to no braces at all. I do still use the chair for certain things. (WDW, the Aquarium, a Museum, a ballgame,) but not nearly as much as before (dinner out, the grocery store.)

Yes, for a long time I hated therapy. I honestly think at some points my mom hated it more, because she hated to watch me struggle and/or cry. I think that is a normal reaction, but I did find therapy I liked. (pool and horseback riding.) I still ride horses today, and I swim when I can. It will be hard for your daughter, and for you, but therapy will help her realize all the potential she has. Try to think of it like eating vegetables or getting a shot, you know it is the right thing to do for her, even if she doesn't like it.