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Hi Andrea! Thanks for the comment. Typically crawling up and down stairs is later than crawling on a flat surface like the floor, although it can be started earlier than the master age of 15-16 months, I would wait to introduce until you see your baby pulling to stand from a couch or chest high surface as they’ll need that half kneel “will you marry me” pose in order to be ready to crawl up stairs. Crawling down stairs will be more difficult so not uncommon to introduce crawling up and then needing to assist crawling down - can help by assisting babies to go feet first down couch cushions etc. i hope this helps! Yay for crawling hands and knees at 9 months :)

You are so welcome! Thank you for the comment!

Hi Beyond the Veil, if a baby is over five months and still struggling with head control then that is a concern that should be directly brought up with a child’s Pediatrician/doctor. If a child is 0-5 months, head control is best developed in tummy time, back play, and sidelying play. If there was trauma at birth or concerns for an underlying condition, the child will need to be seen by a provider for further evaluation or treatment. This video explains a little more about options for head control at older ages: th-cam.com/video/pLwuHTd5JkQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xI-1FuKzsTuuQURd Additionally, pushing through the hands can help support the head either on the belly in tummy time or in supported propped sitting. If you have more questions you can schedule an online parent consultation here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service

Hi Erika! Thanks for the comment. Truthfully it is a disclaimer to ensure that babies who need extra support apart from the information in this video have the opportunity to achieve it. I did post it on youtube because I DO believe families can safely perform this technique, but for a lot of babies this technique in isolation might not be enough. Also, the framework from which this technique was adapted encourages all families with babies that have tightness concerns to at least speak with a PT to ensure that they have everything they need for their little and arent missing any key components. For families who want to take this step they can look for a TMR TOTS provider in the link in the description or schedule an online parent consultation with me here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service Please let me know if you have more questions!

Hi Muna! Thanks for your comment. Three months is a bit on the early side but is not a concern unless a baby is utilizing tightness and tension to roll instead of their muscle strength and flexibility. Most babies start rolling 4-6 months but some babies can roll 3-6 months (typically belly to back but could also see back to belly). I would go through the rolling checklist to see if your baby has everything they need for mastering rolling just in case tightness is contributing (not as a worry but more like an experiment for optimal development if that makes sense!). Here is the checklist (it includes both back to belly and belly to back): Rolling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-roll-checklist If you have additional questions, you can schedule a 1:1 online video parent consultation here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

PS: Just bought the book :)

Hi Kayley! SO GLAD you got the book. I hope it is helping! Likely trunk tightness is causing your little discomfort and possibly tightness in the front of the neck. If you have not already, I would look at the stability ball backbends/guppy pose and upper/lower trunk mobility sections specifically in rotation but also side bend. You could do the upper trunk rotation in sitting or on the back but likely the upright hold positions would be most appropriate. I hope that you are already seeing results but if you have more questions or need some trouble shooting you can schedule a 1:1 online video parent consultation here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service Just know all this extra work for rolling is going to help SO MUCH for crawling and will be WAY EASIER to focus on now vs later so keep at it mama! Lauren

Hi Bushra, thanks so much for the comment. I would continue to be intentional about working on toe walking even at 16. There are so many different aspects to toe walking that it is a really difficult diagnosis to fully resolve but worth the effort to maintain an effort toward. Here are a few additional ideas that may or may not be in the video (sometimes it is hard to remember!) - The toddler squat: this is my favorite for strengthening and lengthening those ankle: th-cam.com/video/dhsJdtHAj94/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ycV8EMOYP7QJlin0 Sensory sole inserts: th-cam.com/video/eWOuoReZHPA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0Rj9g7QKwfGuwO1i Vibration plate exercises: some people need more input in their feet and vibration can be a great option. I use a vibration plate off amazon but I am not sure if it is available in india. If you have access to a clinic with a hypervibe that would be ideal. Here is the vibration plate I own: kit.co/drlaurenbaker/pediatric-physical-therapy/6225505-lifepro-waver-mini-v An outpatient physical therapist might also be able to complete ankle mobilizations including the anterior-posterior glide of the talus which might assist. Tendon lengthening procedures are extreme and may or may not solve the underlying cause. If she can get her feet flat with intention, a tendon lengthening procedure will likely not solve the toe walking as she has enough length at the tendon to be foot flat, that further lengthening is likely not helpful but each child and family should definitely discuss these with their provider’s recommending that care. I hope this helps!

Bushra, the numbness could be due to neural tension in the nerves in her legs. I believe I talked about sciatic nerve glides in the video but if not there are a ton of good sciatic nerve glides on youtube to try, the other one I would recommend to try is the femoral nerve glide. Here is my video for that: th-cam.com/video/AIXqrjteZx0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9fejuDBEjdcgAdxE I hope these help! Lauren

He also can get up into a plank position and downward dog position lol

Hi Sam! Yay for getting onto all fours. Sometimes babies as early as six months can get into the position but we don’t necessarily expect them to hands and knees crawl until closer to 9-11 months. If a baby crawls earlier, that is totally fine AS LONG AS they also mastered the milestones before such as rolling in all four directions and sitting by themselves. If your baby skipped rolling in any of the four directions (both right and left for back to belly and belly to back) then make sure to grab a copy of my book Tummy Time and Learning to Roll - drlaurenbaker.com/tummy-time-and-learning-to-roll-book - while it isnt super common I have had babies who crawled without rolling and it can inhibit future milestones as well as sleep and head shape so ideal to make sure babies are doing all the things before, if they move on a bit early. All four rocking is developing the weight shifting needed for crawling but likely he is still developing the strength for holding all fours before moving onto full crawling which is totally age appropriate. Army or belly crawling is awesome as long as it develops into hands and knees crawling by 11 months! If youd like to check out the building blocks of crawling check out the crawling checklist here: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist I hope this helps, Lauren.

This are awesome building block positions to build belly, arm and leg strength! Love it :)

A little update baby is now 7months old and has been crawling on all fours for the past week!!! He’s now trying to pull to stand.

@@samaltman2905 that is awesome, I would encourage all fours crawling a little more than standing since it's a little bit more advantageous but since they are 7 months standing won't hurt their hips because they're (more) fully developed (than 0-6 months). Enjoy this stage mama!

Hi Rick! Thanks for your comment. I had kind of a longer answer so I filmed a response for you to give a little more of a mini masterclass on crawling that was more specific to your situation. I hope this is helpful even if she's doing better! th-cam.com/users/liveFOdKAg_6Das?si=Y8CEuJEn_fcavCtv Just know that you are truly doing the best for your little to help them master hands and knees crawling! If you have additional questions, you can schedule a 1:1 online video parent consultation here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Apni, no the babies pictures are typically developing babies. Babies with CP might have paralysis or spasticity, which would look very different depending on the child. Here is a guide for CP if you are looking for more information. www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/cerebral-palsy/. If you have additional questions, you can schedule a 1:1 online video parent consultation here at any time: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Ramya, thanks for the comment, is there anything you have questions on?

Hi Fathima, thank you so much for your comment. I appreciate that you are looking for answers for your nephew and I am happy that the hydrocephalus is no longer impacting the pressure on his brain. Unfortunately, hydrocephalus even if it is less of a concern now, could have impacted the brain (any time there is lack of blood flow brain injury can occur and pressure from fluid can cause lack of blood flow or pressure injuries to the brain tissue itself). That being said, babies with brain injuries or hydrocephalus can surprise us all the time and I try not to look at the big picture regarding scary diagnsoses when looking at development and only work on the next small milestone, and once we get there, the next one, and so on. My hope is that your nephew has a great team of doctors that includes a pediatric physical therapist or physiotherapist to help build strength. As he has a more complex case it would be necessary for someone in person to work with him directly. You may find more helpful content on a different channel (although I am happy to help anyway I can), which you can find here: www.youtube.com/@pediatricPTexercises If you have additional questions, you can schedule a 1:1 online video parent consultation here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Raju, unfortunately there are not any specific shoes that can stop toe walking since there is a lot of things going on that might be the cause of toe walking. These inserts (not sure if they are available in india) may help. Additionally taller shoes such as high tops where the shoe goes above the ankle can give more support and make toe walking more difficult, but are not a cure. This video might help with some exercises for toe walking: th-cam.com/video/FFQBO1aHEoM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=FwV5DViM1J7hLE7s otherwise a pediatric physical therapist or physiotherapist in your area would be my best recommendation. Good luck!

@@DrLaurenBaker thanks

Hi Chaithra! Thank you for the comment, hopefully rolling is going a little better now, but if it is not, I am here to help :) My best recommendation would be to get my book Tummy Time and Learning to Roll - drlaurenbaker.com/tummy-time-and-learning-to-roll-book which is available internationally and all links are on that page. If it is not available in your country please let me know. You can also download the free rolling checklist here which can help you figure out which little mini steps are most difficult and focus on those first: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-roll-checklist Make sure that your baby is playing in tummy time for 60-80 minutes per day, sidelying play, and back play as well (all talked about in the book). If your baby is still struggling 7 months+ then a pediatric physical therapist or physiotherapist in your local area would be my recommendation to contact. You can also book a 1:1 online video parent consultation with me here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service

Hi Jamie! Thank you so much for the comment. Crawling is super complex and this recent live I did for a family might be helpful -- th-cam.com/video/FOdKAg_6Das/w-d-xo.html but I would recommend a few things, download the crawling checklist to see if there is one area that is a bigger gap than the others and focus on that first. It comes with a free online course learning to crawl that will be helpful as well: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist / if they are able to crawl but just not doing it much a tunnel is a great option, like this one here: kit.co/drlaurenbaker/learning-to-crawl/moncoland-kids-play You can also schedule a 1:1 online video parent consultation with me here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service and there is a learning to crawl playlist that might be helpful. Without knowing a little more, it's tough to determine which part of crawling is most difficult for them! I hope this helps, Lauren

@@kathart5045 hi! Yes, this page: drlaurenbaker.com/tummy-time-and-learning-to-roll-book has the link for australia under the international section. It is kindle only but youll still have access to the free video course too. Please let me know if you have any other questions! I appreciate you reaching out.

Erica, I AM SO SO GLAD <3 Thank you so very much for this comment, it made my WHOLE DAY! I really really appreciate it and I am so glad that your & your baby's hard yet hopefully still fun work is paying off. Please let me know if you ever need help with something but can't find it on the channel, if I don't have it recorded yet I might have another resource I can share! Lauren

Thank you for taking the time to post a comment! I appreciate it and glad you found the video helpful! Lauren

@@DrLaurenBaker please how can I reach you,would like you to help me on how to raise my child with spinal bifida

You are so welcome! Depending on which milestone you are working on you might find one of my free checklists helpful. Strong baby arms are needed from birth-crawling and for a lot of academic skills like handwriting so it's awesome that you are searching for ways to get started on it now! Here are the checklists so you can use the one that fits best: Rolling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-roll-checklist Sitting Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-sit-checklist Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist Walking Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-walk-checklist

Hi Janine, thanks so much for the comment. I'm not 100% sure I understand the question, but I will do my best. If a baby is struggling with sitting, core strength, or crawling this video is a great option to help them develop the trunk rotation that they need for a strong core and good mobility for getting in/out of sitting, getting into all fours, and transitioning from sitting to all fours on their own. If you are looking for something more comprehensive, check out my free checklists for the following milestones: Tummy Time Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/tummy-time-checklist Rolling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-roll-checklist Sitting Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-sit-checklist Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist Walking Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-walk-checklist If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Madhu, thank you so much for the comment. Yay for rolling in all four directions (back to belly over right and left / belly to back over right and left!). That is a big deal and should definitely be celebrated. If a baby is not sitting on their own by 9 months, we do recommend being evaluated by a pediatric physical therapist. If you have on in your area, that would be my first step since there are many things that go into pushing into extended elbows. I recognize that not all families have access to a pediatric PT though, so here are a few additional options. My recommendation would be to download the sitting checklist here and go through it: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-sit-checklist -- after download you will get access to my free sitting course. But the checklist is where you want to start, as that allows you to narrow down what skill gaps might be happening. If they're not pushing through extended elbows yet, this video might be too difficult -- but baby planks would likely be appropriate (although still hard): th-cam.com/video/E6w7Nlvfm1U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=m3RwB8_CekuFL68p If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Angie! Thanks so much for the comment. YES! Crawling typically occurs between 9-11 months but a baby can show signs of getting into the position earlier. Most babies will go from tummy into all fours and begin rocking on hands/knees to show they are ready to transition. That being said, sometimes babies only need a few tips or strategies to move onto crawling if they are 9 months and already sitting on their own. Here is my free crawling checklist that can help you figure out if there are any gaps and/or if your baby has the foundations needed to get crawling likely without difficulty: Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hey Samantha! Thanks for the comment! Love that you are learning all the things for rolling already :) you are right on track with the 4-6 month rolling milestone. I wanted to share a few resources if you or any of your mama friends are interested. Here is my tummy time and learning to roll book: drlaurenbaker.com/tummy-time-and-learning-to-roll-book -- which goes over all the proactive play positions, has tons of photos, and then has rolling specific exercises for each direction. Can also help if a little gets stuck in one direction but not the other, etc. and here are the learning to roll checklists, which can help trouble shoot as well (these are also located in the book): Rolling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-roll-checklist Hope you have the best time, rolling is SO MUCH FUN and my favorite milestone to work on to be honest :) Lauren

Hi Huan, thanks for the comment. (this is a duplicate of your previous comment responses just in case you see one but not the other) If you have pain every single morning I would recommend making an appointment with a local doctor/physician to determine and make sure there isn't anything else going on. Sometimes food allergies or something worse can be causing stomach pain. If they determine it is just bloating, then this massage would work well for that, but I would recommend getting seen by a local provider so that you can make sure everything is okay. Consistent pain is not something to ignore. Good luck

Hi Huan, thanks for the comment. (this is a duplicate of your previous comment responses just in case you see one but not the other) If you have pain every single morning I would recommend making an appointment with a local doctor/physician to determine and make sure there isn't anything else going on. Sometimes food allergies or something worse can be causing stomach pain. If they determine it is just bloating, then this massage would work well for that, but I would recommend getting seen by a local provider so that you can make sure everything is okay. Consistent pain is not something to ignore. Good luck

Hi Huan, thanks for the comment. If you have pain every single morning I would recommend making an appointment with a local doctor/physician to determine and make sure there isn't anything else going on. Sometimes food allergies or something worse can be causing stomach pain. If they determine it is just bloating, then this massage would work well for that, but I would recommend getting seen by a local provider so that you can make sure everything is okay. Consistent pain is not something to ignore. Good luck

Hi Huan, thanks for the comment. (this is a duplicate of your previous comment responses just in case you see one but not the other) If you have pain every single morning I would recommend making an appointment with a local doctor/physician to determine and make sure there isn't anything else going on. Sometimes food allergies or something worse can be causing stomach pain. If they determine it is just bloating, then this massage would work well for that, but I would recommend getting seen by a local provider so that you can make sure everything is okay. Consistent pain is not something to ignore. Good luck

Hi Ethan, I bet your girlfriend is thrilled with you leaving this comment on the internet but that being said, I am so glad that she got results and to be honest farting/passing gas, etc is all totally normal, so good for her. thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

Hi Brigitte! Thanks so much for your comment. I apologize I am a bit behind but hopefully this will still help if needed. You will want to stabilize his hips like shown in the thumbnail photo, if you are stabilizing his hips by placing your knees around his knees then he will be able to utilize the hip strength without having to also fight gravity (for the hips). There are also a few other things that will help: I really love hip helpers for this exact situation and recommend them often (and also have their sizing kit for use for my kiddos I see in person): www.hiphelpers.com/ -- you also may want to go through the Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist to make sure there are no skill gaps when it comes to crawling as often babies who are super flexible might also struggle with things like going from their back into a sitting position which is a precursor skill to crawling. If he is not crawling on his own by 11 months, that is when we recommend being seen by a pediatric physical therapist. If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

It's not too late! I'm 46 and learned today that I had this problem. It's taken me this long to figure out all my body function issues. I promise you that you are saving your baby from years of struggle. Thank you for paying attention. 💚

Hi Chrissy! thanks so much for the comment and I know that you likely have already started PT for your child WHICH IS AWESOME! Here are a few things that I would add (that your PT might already have told you). 10 months is not too late: booty scooting is a tough habit to break but it's MUCH better to break it now vs. risk having walking delays and skipping crawling all together. I will be honest, PT might be a little tough at first, but often once strength is gained it will get easier, especially if the PT is able to create an environment that is to your child's tolerance (which is always my goal when I see littles in person). For booty scooting specifically: your child may have trunk tightness which made rolling difficult as well as the pre-crawling on hands/knees skills which combined to make booty scooting an easier movement pattern for them. Babies ARE SMART, but booty scooting is not optimal and hands/knees crawling is definitely important for pre-academic skills, spine development, and a million other things (but it is also the hardest milestone). I want you to also take a deep breath and release any mama guilt or frustration for the past, you are not alone, and you were literally marketed to this way so it is ALSO not your fault. PT and proactive play can definitely resolve these issues and while it might be a bit tough, it will be worth it and your little will likely feel a ton better in her little body when she can move more fluidly. Here are a bunch of resources for you: - Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist I would start here even with PT to make sure that they are also looking at trunk rotation, because that can be a big block and not every PT is trained in it. - Free Online Course for Crawling: drlaurenbaker.com/courses [even with PT I would look through this, I do talk about booty scooting specifically and you're going to want to look at upper trunk / lower trunk rotation, arm strength, core strength, and hip strength sections + whatever else on the crawling checklist that wasn't checked and recommended] -Hip Helpers: www.hiphelpers.com/ these will help your little tolerate tall kneeling by decreasing the demand on her system. Would use these will tall kneeling first, then when arms are stronger move to tall kneeling on vertical surface, then all fours -Wedges and play cushions can be really helpful at this age (or even just a couch cushion) an incline is going to be a million times easier than the floor. Here are my favorites: kit.co/drlaurenbaker/pediatric-physical-therapy/6410722-factory-direct-partn or this one: kit.co/drlaurenbaker/pediatric-physical-therapy/foamnasium-wedge-in If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Val! Thanks so much for the comment and for the encouragement for Chrissy and her baby. I agree 100% and I hope that you have found a way to help your body feel good. If not, I love this account on instagram for mobility: instagram.com/beardthebestyoucanbe/

@@DrLaurenBaker Thank you!

Hi Michelle! I do not have a coupon, but if they are working I would highly recommend continuing with them as one hour a week won't be enough to truly change gait (we need often full day use over many many months). I would also encourage leaning into anything that is working as toe walking is VERY difficult to effect change in and the most surprising thing I have heard from older individuals who are toe walking is how much they wished they had more support when they were younger. Perhaps reach out to any local support or start a go fund me or see if the OT knows of any grant options is cost is a concern. Here is the link again if you need it: www.sensorysole.com/

Hi Jamie, it seems like you may have had a really tough experience personal experience with school based PT and on behalf of all PTs everywhere school based or not, I am truly sorry for that. Often parents who have a child who may be significantly impacted are trying to do anything and absolutely everything that they can for their child, understandably. I am not sure that a youtube comment will suffice to answer or have enough space/time to explain all the nuances of your questions, but I will do my best. Each state has different laws and different interpretations of their laws, so I can only express what my experience has been in the states I have worked in. This is also different for PTs in a public school vs. a private school, so at times there are some grey areas. It is also based on the instructions that therapist have from their special education directors, the school district lawyers, and their experiences with being sued in the past. There are different scopes of practice for PTs in all settings. An outpatient physical therapist's scope of practice is different than a pediatric outpatient physical therapist's scope of practice is different than an acute care hospital physical therapist's scope of practice is different than early intervention pediatric physical therapists scope of practice. They are limited by both training, laws, the setting itself, the population they treat, and the environment, among other things. Outpatient pediatric physical therapists as covered in the videos on this channel are bound by federal laws to provide physical therapy for students to access their environment independently or with support from para professionals, etc. This is does not always indicate that their movement is optimal or age appropriate. Medical model PT is based on allowing a child to reach their optimal standpoint. Once a child is in school full time, it is also difficult for them or their families to have medical model PT in the afterschool hours. I do understand this; however, while in the school setting it is most important for the child to be in the classroom and PT is often a pull out modality although they are trying to push in more and more often. We have to abide by the child's least restrictive environment which is a portion of the federal laws, that means, that if the child can access their education without the assistance of a PT utilizing skilled interventions, then pulling the child out of class is MORE restrictive than allowing them to stay in the classroom with their peers. Medicaid allows the schools to bill for direct care services, not indirect care services so PTs are allowed to bill these insurances but there should be no cost to families when done so. Medicaid covers a wide variety of settings for PT including outpatient adult PT, pediatric outpatient PT, school based PT, and often acute hospital PT, each of these PTs would bill Medicaid differently for the services they provide to their child or the client because their setting dictates how services are provided based on context and environment. The school district I worked in specifically requested us to carefully phrase recommendations as they were sued for outpatient services in the past. I would always carefully educate families on the differences of outpatient and school based PT and if appropriate tell families their child may be an appropriate candidate for outpatient PT. I would also often go above and beyond if not recommending school based services and give families something to assist in the in between period. Not all PTs do that, but sometimes our hands are truly tied with what we can offer based on federal requirements ie a child may need to have a standard deviation of -2.0 in one category or -1.5 in two categories to qualify for developmental delay. This can be difficult to achieve and if they do not, they might not receive school based services but also it can be a good thing because -2.0 SD is really behind. I agree that a PT should be really honest and empathetic with all of their families and the children that they are evaluating as the families have their child's overall, long-term best interests in mind. IEP and evaluation meetings can be really contentious at times and especially frustrating, where families often feel like they do not have control of the narritive. They are not always ideal outcomes. Families who struggle with school districts often bring advocates to evaluations. Families can also appeal decisions for their children. I always encourage families to do what they believe is truly best for their child. I hope this gives some more insight and I hope you find the assistance you're looking for. Lauren

Hi Jamie, thank you so much for your comment. I hope you were able to read my last one (or will soon). You are really educated and bring up a lot of great points, namely articulation. I think the difference with articulation is it is often its own category where PT/gross motor (in many states, but not WA) is often a related service and cannot stand alone. That argument is not appropriate for WA, though, so you do make an excellent point. If a child was receiving SDI in PE on an IEP, there absolutely should (must) be an IEP goal addressing those concerns attached to an appropriate provider SPED PE / APE / PT teacher. If not, that would be a very big concern. For the SFA, it shows the level of independence a child has that does not require additional skilled intervention, so yes, often it is used to determine need for skilled PT. If a child has a 1:1 for example, their needs can be met without skilled PT vs a child who did not have a 1:1 and would need a higher level of independence in order to access their environment. That is obviously where it gets tricky as support can both enable safe access, while simultaneously decreasing the progression of true independence. If a family disagrees with the findings of an SFA, they can appeal and request a functional evaluation of a child's independence potentially indicating specific areas without the support of the child's aide, but depending on the school district the family may be in a catch 22, where the child gets services but does not get the aide or the child gets the aide but no services. It is truly not a perfect system. Someone who may be able to assist you in grants for legal consultations would be Advocacy Abby: instagram.com/advocacy.abby/ I know that my responses are generic (since I am not privvy to your specific case/experience) and that IEPs/school based PT can be really tough (both for families and the therapists themselves). I hope that you can find a balance so that your child or the one you're advocating for can make progress toward your/their ultimate goals. Lauren

You are so welcome! If you are looking for more resources, check out my free checklists for Tummy Time Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/tummy-time-checklist and Rolling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-roll-checklist Hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Niki, side sitting is an exercise in itself, yes. But more specifically you need to think of it in a multitude of ways: can baby stay in side sitting with their trunk upright or do they need to place their hands on the ground to support their trunk? Do they keep their legs in the z shape position or do they kick it out? Is it the same with the right side as the left? Are they able to maintain the position for 1-2 minutes or do they get tired after 15 seconds? Can they stay in side sitting and play upright with their hands or do you need to support them at their trunk? There is ALOT going on in this position, but in short, yet :) Either way, I hope you found this helpful but if you need more support consider checking out these free checklists: Sitting Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-sit-checklist Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist

Hi Gift, if your daughter is six months this video will likely be too advanced for her. I love that you are trying so hard for her <3 Here are a few things that might help: 1. The Tummy Time and Learning to Roll Book -- drlaurenbaker.com/tummy-time-and-learning-to-roll-book -- this book will help make sure that she is able to have a strong foundation for sitting. At 6 months, we care MORE that she is able to roll back to belly / belly to back than sitting. If she's rolling in all four directions (back to belly right/left, belly to back right/left) then you can move onto sitting 2. Sitting Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-sit-checklist -- this will help fill in any gaps for moving onto sitting and make sure that she has the foundation she needs. For sitting, she has from 6 months to 9 months to master that milestone although 6-8 months is the sweet spot. If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Babu, for babies that have low tone (floppy) all exercises that are appropriate for that milestone will still work but may have to be modified. If a baby is working on head control I really like this exercise: th-cam.com/video/PGz60Z93f8w/w-d-xo.htmlsi=U-F6PtSTMCyJO8Ve If baby is working on rolling, my book Tummy Time and Learning to Roll may be the best resource for you: drlaurenbaker.com/tummy-time-and-learning-to-roll-book I also really like the fearfully and wonderfully made onesies to assist in adding compression to the abdomen: fearfullynwonderfully.com/collections/all all of these options can assist babies 0-6 months. If your baby is working on a different milestone please let me know! Lauren

Hi Niki, not typically but when they do we call them "clothing restrictions," and encourage parents to try them with a regular diaper or without one at all or without one + pants, etc to experiment. Most often crawling struggles occur from: lack of core strength, decreased arm/upper trunk strength (often associated with difficulty with tummy time), decreased trunk rotation, or decreased hip strength. Here is the free crawling checklist to check out any gaps a child might have and hopefully address them with some exercises/play positions: Crawling Checklist - drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Babu, this may help explain some things regarding head control in babies and general low tone: th-cam.com/video/pLwuHTd5JkQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3hPpxXemBAcvLZxn if a baby is 7 months and does not have head control a session with a Pediatric Physical Therapist is recommended, but I do also really like this exercise for parents to support. If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

Hi Alessandro, thanks so much for the comment. I would definitely run any exercises by your neurologist or PT if you have one, that being said, if you do the sciatic nerve glides, you may notice some tremor-ing due to the clonus from compression on the upper motor neurons or disruptions in their pathways. That being said, if you try anything I would absolutely go at your own pace and with someone home with you. I hope this helps and good luck, Lauren

Hi Katharina! I apologize for the late comment, so hopefully you don't need this anymore but if you do here's a few ideas: Depending on how long a baby stays in all fours they might be really close and just working on their endurance. When a baby is able to maintain 2-3 minutes of all fours, typically we're really close to crawling, less than that we have to keep practicing to build up our core strength. The other thing that you hopefully have been doing (this video exercise) is increasing the strength of their side body core muscles and arms (which this exercise does). We need babes to be able to do about 10 of these in a row on a ball or the floor before I can be confident we have the strength and endurance we need to start adding movement. If crawling is still a concern, here is my crawling checklist: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist to see if there are any gaps in skills. I would definitely look at the upper trunk / lower trunk rotation. Since your little is about 12 months by now, if they are not crawling yet a pediatric PT session might be necessary to help you figure out what is blocking it. If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren

@@DrLaurenBaker Dear Lauren, thank you so much for your answer. I have been checking your lists, did the lessons and we have visited a PT several times because of a neurological issue influencing the vision as well. He got so much stronger thanks to you and also the PT and is able to crawl, just doesn't want to all the time and still prefers army crawling but can stay on all fours very long (he shifts from belly to sitting to crawling all the time) and does tall kneeling and pulls himself up on the sofa. We are practising the squatting now. Neurologist was very satisfied and not concerned at all. Thank you very much!!

Hi Hind, the lumbrical grasp which is the type of position that your hand is in when holding a book shown in the video should be developed by the 4-5 age range depending on the heaviness of a book. By 4 a child's finger muscles are beginning to get strong enough to start holding a pencil in a more mature pattern, showing they have the intrinsic hand strength, that they should also be strong enough to hold a book in this way. I hope this helps, Lauren