Not Walking Yet? Have You Tried Knee Walking? Watch This! 👨🏻‍🦰🚶 | SMA Type 1 PT #27

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. 👉🏽 Watch the full Cillian playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjOBUy-rQKVN5ACa37e72liK In this video, I’m working with my co-instructor, Cillian 👨🏻‍🦰, who is 2½ years old and has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1. Cillian was diagnosed through newborn screening and treated early with both Risdiplam and Zolgensma. He also has scoliosis and hip dysplasia, which make strength, alignment, and postural control especially important. Today, we're working on a walking-preparation activity: knee walking 🚶 Although knee walking looks simple, it requires a child to maintain hip extension on one side while bringing the opposite leg forward. This alternating pattern helps develop the hip control, balance, and coordination needed for walking. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Introduction to Cillian 0:19 Beginning knee walking practice 0:40 Working on tall hip extension 1:03 Advancing one leg while stabilizing on the other 1:31 Using toy vehicles for motivation 1:43 Reaching the toy garage 2:03 Continuing alternating knee walking 2:22 Why knee walking helps walking 2:57 New outro / subscribe message 🚶 Why Knee Walking Helps Walking To knee walk successfully, a child must: • Maintain hip extension 👨🏽 • Shift weight from side to side 👩🏻 • Balance on one knee while moving the other 👦🏽 • Coordinate alternating leg movements 👩🏾 • Control the trunk while moving forward 👨🏻‍🦰 These are many of the same skills required for independent walking. 💡 What I’m Working On During this activity, I’m encouraging Cillian to stay tall through his hips instead of remaining in a lower position. Cillian wants to stay lower through his hips and move forward from there, but I’m cueing him to come tall into hip extension before advancing the other leg. I’m also helping him learn to stabilize on one side while advancing the opposite leg, which is an important part of gait development. 📘 Cillian’s Medical & Therapy Background Cillian received: • Risdiplam by day 5 of life • Zolgensma at 5 weeks old • Restarted Risdiplam at 10 months old He has also been diagnosed with: • Nystagmus • Cranial asymmetry • Scoliosis • Hip dysplasia Cillian began physical therapy at 3 months of age and currently receives: • Physical therapy • Occupational therapy • Feeding therapy 💙 Why This Matters Children with SMA often benefit from opportunities to: • Build hip strength 👨🏾‍🦱 • Improve postural control 👩🏼 • Practice weight shifting 👧🏽 • Develop walking skills 🚶 • Increase participation in play 🚗 ⚠️ Important Note These videos are educational and are not a replacement for in-person pediatric physical therapy. Every child is unique. Please consult a licensed pediatric therapist before trying new exercises. I cannot provide individualized treatment without evaluating your child. 🌐 Contact / Learn More Website: https://www.pediatricPTexercises.com Facebook: Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises Email: [amysturkey@gmail.com](mailto:amysturkey@gmail.com) 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey, PT Children’s Educational Books (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 (Amazon) • 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 💬 Captions / Accessibility Captions were reviewed and corrected for clarity and accuracy. To turn on captions: click CC To change languages: ⚙️ Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate → choose your language