1. Weight bearing through hands and feet

To ensure growth and development, weight-bearing through the hands and feet is essential. Weight-bearing enhances bone growth, so your child’s body can increase in size. Children’s muscles increase in strength as stand, walk or push up with their hands and arms. As your child weight-bears through their limbs, their balance and coordination are also practiced.

Weight bearing helps the digestive system

Additionally, weight-bearing while standing helps the digestive system and helps avoid constipation issues. Being active while walking and standing on their feet every

Weight bearing through hands

Weight-bearing through the hands assists to develop proper head control and balance while prop sitting and on the tummy. Equipment including arm immobilizers can be an aid to your child in working on weight bearing.

2. Standing in a stander, gait trainer or with a caregiver or therapist

Having your child stand daily is essential. One way to ensure that your child will weight bear is to have them stand in a stander or gait trainer for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. As they wear AFOs (braces) in their stander or gait trainer, your special one can stand while playing with favorite toys or watching tv or videos on an iPad.

Standing with a caregiver or therapist

An additional method to work on weight bearing on the feet is standing with a caregiver or therapist. If your child cannot stand by themselves, certain equipment makes standing possible. First, your child needs AFOs and shoes on. Depending on the support needed, ankle weights, leg immobilizers, a ladder to hold onto, a tall bench, or a tumbling octagon to lean on can be utilized.

3. Opportunity to walk

Weight-bearing while walking is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle for special needs children. It helps them develop strength, balance, and coordination. Your child’s growth is enhanced by walking. Additionally, walking keeps the digestive system moving along and avoids constipation issues.

4. Tummy time

In the life of a special needs child, tummy time is critical for developing physically. While positioned on their tummy, head control and weight bearing through arms and hands are practiced. The neck and shoulders are also developed and strengthened during tummy time.

5. Therapy

Throughout your special needs child’s life, he or she will need a variety of therapy including physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision therapy, and speech therapy. Depending on the child’s current needs and goals and the type of therapies they respond best to, you’ll decide which therapies are best for your child.

6. Hand over hand method to do activities

The last item of the daily necessity to-do list each day is to use the hand-over-hand method to do activities. For instance, you want to help them feed themselves a cracker or put a spoon full of food in their mouth. Activating toys with assistance may be a good way for them to participate in therapeutic activities. Simple tasks such as hitting a light switch or turning a page in a book can be effective ways to engage your special needs child.

Read Everything you need to know about Intensive Therapy for Special Needs Children

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