The Obstacle of Walking

Getting around in our environment is an important life skill. It not only allows for greater independence, but it also lays a groundwork for many other skills such as exploration, vision skills, play and more. In the video above, it shows a kiddo who is learning to walk and navigate his environment. Why on earth would we have such a messy hallway for a kiddo who is just learning to walk?! Believe it or not, we actually did that on purpose. Since short walking distances in a clear area have been mastered and the groundwork has been laid, we are moving onto the next set of skills. Placing obstacles out allows the child to work on skills including visual scanning of the environment, turns, side stepping, and balance reactions. When working with children on skill building, it is important to follow the “just right challenge.” We want to make sure that we are challenging them enough to allow them to gain skills instead of plateauing, but we do not want to challenge them too much or too little because that will affect their motivation. This will look different for every child that we work with to make sure that we are tailoring to their abilities specifically. Everyone has strengths and it is our job to determine how we can build on those strengths at the right pace.

If you have concerns with your child’s walking, please contact Therapy OPS to speak with a physical therapist. 651-455-0561 - Info@therapyops.com -  www.therapyops.com