Cruising but Not Walking? Fix the Gap Between Surfaces 👶🏻➡️🪑 | Pediatric PT #47

👋🏻 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. 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 strength and motor development became more consistent — showing how closely nutrition and movement are connected 🧠💪🏽. Currently, Ilya is: • Crawling independently • Getting into sitting on his own • Cruising along furniture His mother reports that he can cruise along surfaces but is not yet moving between separate surfaces — an important step toward independent walking. In this video Amy works with Ilya on helping him move between two surfaces — a key skill that requires letting go, balancing briefly, and stepping to the next support. She starts with surfaces very close together, then gradually increases the distance. A helpful guideline: When a child can cruise between surfaces about 27–29 inches apart, they are often close to walking independently. This activity helps babies practice: • Cruising between surfaces 👶🏽👶🏾👶🏿 • Balance and weight shifting • Trunk and hip control • The “leap of faith” needed for first steps To make it easier: • Place surfaces closer together • Use a smaller turn (90° instead of 180°) ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction + Ilya’s age 0:16 – Setting up two surfaces 1:17 – Starting close together 1:38 – Increasing distance 1:55 – 27–29 inch guideline 2:22 – Easier option: smaller turn 2:40 – Wrap-up 🔔 Be sure to subscribe for more pediatric physical therapy tips. 📺 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. 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 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