Baby Slumps When Sitting? Try Airplane Carry ✈️🧑🏻‍🦰 | Down Syndrome Pediatric PT #112

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. Thank you again to this wonderful family for welcoming me back. In this session, I’m working with Everett 🧑🏻‍🦰, who has Down syndrome. Everett is 2 years, 4 months old. He was born almost two months premature, had corrective heart surgery, and has a G-tube. I first met him at 11½ months and have followed his progress as he grows stronger and more mobile. Everett can belly crawl and pull to stand. However, he is not yet able to crawl on hands and knees, and when he stands, he often leans his trunk on support rather than holding himself upright. When sitting, he tends to round his back. Today, we are working on improving trunk extension strength using a simple “airplane” position. ✈️ What We’re Working On In this activity, I hold Everett facing away from me with his legs straddling my hips, while my forearm supports him across his hips—similar to a roller coaster safety bar. From this position: • Everett has to actively arch and lift his trunk to stay upright • I can adjust the difficulty by changing his angle • More upright = easier (endurance work) • More forward tilt = harder (strength work) When Everett was younger, I needed to support him higher at his chest. Now, by lowering my support to his hips, he must do more of the work himself. ⏱️ Video Chapters 0:00 Meet Amy 👩🏼‍🦳 & Everett 🧑🏻‍🦰 0:15 Everett’s current skills 0:40 Why trunk extension matters 1:00 Airplane setup and positioning 1:20 Making it easier vs harder 1:45 Progression from earlier videos 2:05 Wrap-up ⭐ What you’ll see • Airplane carrying position • Trunk extension strengthening • Adjustable difficulty based on angle • Functional strengthening during movement 🌟 Why this helps Children 👶🏽👶🏾👶🏻 with Down syndrome or motor delays may: • Sit with a rounded back • Have difficulty activating trunk extensors • Lean on support in sitting or standing This activity helps build the strength needed for: • Upright sitting posture • Transitions • Standing balance • More symmetrical trunk control Everett’s mother has also noticed early signs of scoliosis, so improving back strength—especially symmetrically—is an important focus. 🧠 Clinical note If a child collapses into flexion or struggles to stay upright, activities that encourage active trunk extension—like this supported airplane position—can help build strength in a functional way. Try: • Supporting at the hips instead of the chest • Adjusting the angle to match the child’s ability • Practicing in short bursts throughout the day • Incorporating movement (walking around) for engagement Families 👩🏽‍👦🏻👨🏾‍👧🏽👩🏻‍👧🏾 often find that consistency leads to steady progress. *Uncertainty note: While improving trunk strength is associated with better postural control, the relationship between strengthening and scoliosis progression varies across children.* ⚠️ IMPORTANT These videos are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for in-person pediatric physical therapy. It would be unethical for me to provide specific treatment recommendations without personally evaluating your child. 📬 Contact Email: [amysturkey@gmail.com](mailto:amysturkey@gmail.com) 📚 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 PT 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 📺 Everett Playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjPqgM4rbEV8G1bMdC1Dyzaw