Almost Standing? Fix Balance with This Simple Support Trick 👶🏻⚖️ | Pediatric PT #47

👋🏻 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a pediatric physical therapist. Meet Ilya! 👶🏻 Ilya is 1 year and 1 month old and was born one month premature, so his development is best compared to that of a 12-month-old baby. In his early months, Ilya experienced several medical and feeding challenges, including: • Torticollis and plagiocephaly • Projectile vomiting and difficulty gaining weight • Failure to thrive / infant malnutrition • GERD • Lip tie and tongue tie • Feeding difficulties, including poor suction and latch 🍼 As feeding improved, his overall strength and motor development became more consistent — showing how closely nutrition, growth, and movement are connected 🧠💪🏽. Currently, Ilya is: • Crawling independently • Getting into sitting on his own His mother reports that Ilya can walk with two hands held but is not yet able to walk with one hand held. In this video Pediatric physical therapist Amy Sturkey works with Ilya on **standing balance and early independent standing**. Ilya is beginning to briefly let go at furniture, but not yet able to maintain standing for long. This activity targets that “almost standing” stage. Amy positions Ilya with his legs gently **trapped between her thighs** to reduce stepping or jumping, allowing him to focus on balance. She provides support behind him for safety while motivating him with a toy placed just out of reach. A key concept demonstrated here is **graded support**: Amy gradually lowers how much assistance she provides, testing how little support Ilya needs to remain standing. By the end of the activity, her supporting hand moves from contact → light touch → **hovering without touching**, while still ready to assist if needed. This progression helps Ilya practice: • Standing with decreasing levels of support 👶🏽👶🏾👶🏿 • Balance and postural control • Controlled sit ↔ stand transitions • Strength through the trunk and hips His mother noted that he was not yet lowering from standing with control — and this setup also creates repeated opportunities to practice that skill. Small changes in support — including how much, where, and when you assist — can make a big difference in helping babies build independence in standing. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction + Ilya’s age 0:16 – Standing at furniture (current skill level) 0:27 – Setting up the activity (leg trapping + support) 0:40 – Using a toy to encourage upright standing 0:58 – Gradually lowering support 1:10 – Sit ↔ stand transitions with control 1:23 – Improving control coming down 1:36 – Summary and clinical takeaway 🔔 Be sure to subscribe for more pediatric physical therapy tips, and click the bell to be notified when new videos are posted. 📺 Watch all of Ilya’s videos here (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjOe_0TzQ-5tHANgHjeBzjui ⚠️ Safety Note These videos are educational and are not a substitute for in-person physical therapy. Please do not try these techniques if your child’s skills or medical history differ significantly from Ilya’s. For individualized guidance, contact a licensed pediatric physical therapist near you. 📧 Contact: amysturkey@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.pediatricPTexercises.com 🪶 Accessibility Closed captions have been reviewed and corrected. To turn on captions: Click “CC.” To change languages: ⚙️ Settings → Subtitles/CC → select a language or Auto-translate. If captions block details, toggle them off in the bottom corner of the player. 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey (Amazon) “P is for Poop and Pee Accidents” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 “A is for Anxiety” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V “A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR “C is for Cerebral Palsy” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP “D is for Down Syndrome” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 “A is for Autism” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Professional Pediatric Physical Therapy Books Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD