Pediatric Physiotherapy

From the earliest weeks of life through the start of school, a child’s body is developing at a pace it will never match again — motor skills, muscle tone, and coordination unfolding in a fairly predictable sequence, though every baby moves through it a little differently. At SOMOM, pediatric physiotherapy supports babies and children whose development, movement, or bladder and bowel function could benefit from a closer, more individualized look, working alongside your family doctor or pediatrician rather than in place of them.

What We’re Assessing at Each Stage

We see babies from as early as around fifteen days old, when concerns like head shape or neck positioning can already be gently assessed and addressed. In the first months, we’re often looking at head and neck symmetry, tolerance of tummy time, and early motor milestones. As babies move toward six to twelve months, the focus shifts to rolling, sitting, crawling, and the transition to pulling up and cruising along furniture. From roughly one to four years, we look at walking pattern, balance, and coordination, and from preschool through the early school years, at running, jumping, stairs, and more complex movement skills, along with bladder and bowel habits that are expected to be maturing by then.

Common Concerns That Bring Families In

• Torticollis, a tight or shortened neck muscle causing the head to tilt or turn to one side
• Plagiocephaly, or flattening of one area of the skull, often related to positional preference
• Delayed or asymmetrical motor milestones — rolling, sitting, crawling, or walking later or differently than expected
• Toe-walking that persists past the early toddler years
• In-toeing, out-toeing, or other gait patterns parents notice and want assessed
• Low muscle tone or a child who seems to tire more easily than peers during physical activity
• Bladder or bowel concerns in older children, such as daytime wetting, bedwetting past the age it’s typically expected to resolve, constipation, or withholding

Many of these concerns resolve with typical development on their own; physiotherapy tends to be most useful when a pattern persists, is asymmetrical, or is genuinely affecting a child’s comfort, confidence, or participation.

How Pediatric Physiotherapy Helps

Assessment and treatment for babies and young children look very different from adult physiotherapy — sessions are gentle, play-based, and built around what a child can actually tolerate and engage with at their age. For infants, this might mean guided positioning, stretching, and handling techniques taught to parents to use at home between visits. For toddlers and older children, treatment is often disguised as play: games and movement challenges designed to build strength, coordination, or a specific motor skill without a child ever feeling like they’re doing an exercise program. For bladder and bowel concerns in older children, physiotherapy focuses on toileting habits, posture, pelvic floor coordination, and simple, age-appropriate strategies, always explained to the child in a way they can understand and always with parents closely involved.

What to Expect at a Pediatric Visit

Parents are present throughout every session, and treatment is explained clearly before anything is tried — pediatric care at SOMOM involves age-appropriate, external, play-based assessment, never an internal exam. A first visit includes a detailed history, including pregnancy and birth history where relevant, an observation of your child moving and playing, and a hands-on assessment matched to your child’s age and comfort. From there, we build a plan that usually includes a home program parents can build into everyday routines like diaper changes, bath time, or playtime, since consistency between visits often matters more than the visits themselves.

Working Alongside Your Pediatrician or Family Doctor

Pediatric physiotherapy complements, rather than replaces, the medical care provided by your child’s pediatrician or family doctor. We’re glad to communicate with your child’s physician when helpful, and will always recommend a medical evaluation first for anything outside a physiotherapy scope. Many of the families we see at our High Park clinic come to us shortly after a postpartum recovery visit of their own, and appreciate being able to bring both themselves and their baby to one coordinated team. Learn more about our broader approach on our pelvic health page, or book a pediatric assessment for your child.