Stand Up and Take a Step! 👧🏽🚶🏽‍♀️✨First Independent Steps with CP | Pediatric Physical Therapy #47

Stand Up → Step Forward! 👧🏽🚶🏽‍♀️✨ | Independent Standing & First Steps for Kids with CP | Pediatric Physical Therapy with Amy Sturkey @pediatricPTexercises Oh my goodness — Alexis is back, and she is working SO hard today! 🌈 Please meet my amazing co-instructor, Alexis Sanderson (age 10½). She’s a bright, expressive girl with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and she communicates non-verbally but understands everything that’s happening. Her determination and spark shine through every moment. ✨ In this session, we’re focusing on helping Alexis stand up independently from a dining-room chair and then take a single step toward me. This is a big motor-control challenge for her — and a huge confidence builder. 💛 To set her up for success, I position the chair so the back of her legs lightly touch the front edge, and I stand about 2–3 feet in front of her with her favorite motivator: a tiny Buzz Lightyear toy that does karate chops. (“To infinity and beyond!” definitely helps engagement! 🚀) She tries the sequence twice: 1️⃣ Lean forward, push to stand, find her balance 2️⃣ Take one precarious, courageous step toward me 3️⃣ I catch her and celebrate BIG We also experiment with foot placement. A chair that lets her feet slide slightly under the seat—and feet a little closer together—gives her the best chance of rising independently and stepping forward. 💡 What we’re working on today: ✔️ Independent sit-to-stand for kids with CP ✔️ Forward weight shift and balance reactions ✔️ Taking one step toward a caregiver for early mobility confidence ✔️ Finding the right chair setup for success (feet under = easier!) ✔️ Play-based motivation using a beloved toy (Buzz Lightyear 🦸‍♂️✨) Independent standing + a single purposeful step is a powerful combination for building mobility skills. Alexis gives it everything she has — and her triumphs today are just wonderful to watch. 💕 🎥 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