Can She Reach Behind? 💫 | Rotation Exercise for Kids with Cerebral Palsy | Pediatric PT #46

Reaching with Rotation 👧🏾💫 | Sitting Balance & Trunk Control for Kids with CP | Pediatric Physical Therapy with Amy Sturkey @pediatricPTexercises Oh my goodness — Alexis is back, and she is on fire today! 🌈 Please meet my amazing co-instructor, Alexis Sanderson (age 10½). She’s a bright, expressive girl with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy who communicates non-verbally but understands everything around her. Her joy and determination shine in every session. ✨ In this video, we’re building on previous sitting-balance work by introducing reaching with rotation — a huge skill for trunk control. Alexis sits on a soft round cushion about chair height. It’s just unstable enough to challenge her core but still safe with supervision. Today’s goal? Turning her trunk to reach behind and beside her — first to the left, then to the right — while keeping her balance. To motivate her, we use playful choices: a doll and Dash from The Incredibles. Dash brings out some wonderful “I’m too fast for you!” moments! 💛💨 I sit behind her and provide gentle guidance at her hips and trunk to help her rotate. Interestingly, Alexis’s rotation to the right is better than to the left, even though the right side is typically her “harder” side. I suspect this is because she often rotates toward the right in daily life so she can use her better left hand to grab items on that side — giving her lots of natural practice with rightward rotation. 💡 What we’re working on: ✔️ Trunk rotation for functional sitting ✔️ Core strength and balance reactions ✔️ Reaching behind the body with control ✔️ Motivating participation with meaningful play (Dash 🏃💨 & dolls) ✔️ Encouraging use of the more-involved side Rotational reaching is an incredibly valuable part of sitting development — especially for kids with cerebral palsy — because it strengthens deep trunk muscles and teaches controlled movement in all directions. 🌟 Alexis shows so much determination as she twists, reaches, and returns upright. I hope this session gives you ideas for playful, effective ways to build sitting balance at home or in therapy. 🎥 Watch all of Alexis’s videos (playlist): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjNQyu5vJsft6bWiGCmEU-nR 🌐 More from me: Website: www.pediatricPTexercises.com Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises Email: amysturkey@gmail.com ⚠️ Important note: These videos are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for in-person pediatric physical therapy. Every child is unique. I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated. For specific guidance, please consult a local pediatric physical therapist. 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey (Amazon): Children’s Books: 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 📍 Chapters 00:00 – Meet Alexis (Age 10½) 👧🏾💕 00:09 – Cushion setup & sitting balance 00:21 – Starting rotational reaches 00:38 – Reaching behind for Dash 💫 00:54 – Using guided support for rotation 01:07 – Why right rotation is surprisingly easier 01:30 – Playful motivation keeps her engaged 02:08 – Functional benefits of trunk rotation 02:31 – Wrap-up and goodbye