How is a paediatric physiotherapist different to other physiotherapists?

As well as being a registered physiotherapist I have completed additional training, and had years of experience working specifically with infants, children and young people. I am a physiotherapist with special interest in paediatrics.

Although the general skills learned working with adult populations are the same, and many physiotherapists work with both adults and children, there are a few specific skills for physiotherapist working in paediatrics.

- Knowledge of childhood related conditions. We do not claim to be an expert in every single condition, we do have a high level of knowledge of conditions affecting gross motor skills and movement. This means we can put in place best practice management plans as soon as possible.

- To support this we can also draw on our networks and links with specialist centres, paediatricians, and other allied health working in paediatrics to collaborate with and get our clients the best care implemented early.

- Physiotherapists in paediatrics are often part of the multidisciplinary team who can identify early signs of developmental delay and can assist with early diagnosis of specific conditions. We have high-level of knowledge and experience of typically developing children, as well as the signs of when development is not occurring typically. We have done training in best-practice assessments that can determine a client’s level of risk for a specific diagnosis and inform the paediatrician or GP when necessary. This can help your child receive the appropriate therapies and intervention as early as possible.

- Allied Health Professionals working in paediatrics prioritise, and have time, to work with families, kindergartens, schools. The best outcomes for the kids are when everyone in their life is working together.

- Young People are learning about autonomy and need to be engaged appropriately in the choices for their care. Therefore, they need to be educated and engaged in an age & developmentally appropriate way. Physiotherapist working with young people have great understanding of chronic disease, of developmental stages of learning, excellent communication and rapport building skills, and enormous respect for young people making their own choices. After all many chronic conditions of childhood do continue lifelong, and we aim to help young people be as prepared as possible for supported self-management.

If you would like to know more about the types of paediatric conditions I have experience with please check out the About Me page.

More About Me