Strengthen Head Control for Kids with Cerebral Palsy 💙👦🏼 | Pediatric Physical Therapy #8

🌟 Welcome back! Meet Jack — Strengthening Head Control While Leaning Back 💙 | Pediatric Physical Therapy #8 I’m so glad you’re here! Please meet my wonderful co-instructor, Jack, who was 12 years old when we filmed this session. Jack has significant involvement (GMFCS Level V) due to cerebral palsy, along with a seizure disorder, cortical vision impairment, and scoliosis. He wears a cochlear implant and hearing aid, receives all nutrition through a G-tube, and has a history of orthopedic surgeries including femoral derotation and heel-cord lengthenings. And most importantly — he is truly delightful. ✨ Today, Jack works on maintaining head control while being slowly leaned backward. I support him just above the elbows and gently test how far he can go without losing his chin tuck. Off to the side, Jack’s sister Emory holds one of his favorite easy-activate toys down low to encourage him to look downward and keep his head aligned. This combination of movement and visual motivation helps build the muscles that support head and trunk stability. 🕒 Video Chapters 0:00 Introduction & greetings 0:14 Why head control matters 0:29 Setup: bench sitting with feet grounded & shins lightly strapped 0:36 Starting backward movement with elbow support 0:48 Using a motivating toy to encourage chin-tuck 1:03 Jack works to recover his head position 1:21 Adjusting difficulty: “Did I go too far?” 1:34 Side-to-side rocking to test control 1:53 When head control is lost (and why that still helps us guide therapy) 2:07 Using a favorite YouTube video for stronger chin-tuck 2:21 Support levels: shoulders → elbows → hands 2:33 Final thoughts & what progress looks like 2:40 See more of Jack’s videos (playlist link) 2:52 Subscribe reminder 🎯 What we’re working on today 🧠 Head control during backward movement 🦶 Stable bench sitting with feet supported 🎵 Motivation through favorite toys & videos 👧🏼 Sibling participation — Emory keeping things fun! Jack sits at the end of a padded bench with his feet flat on the floor. His shins are belted for stability. I sit facing him, support him above the elbows, and gently lean him backward. His job is to keep his chin tucked and recover his head position — an important skill for posture, safety, trunk control, and alignment. As the lean increases, so does the difficulty. Using low visual targets (a favorite toy or video) encourages the sustained chin-tuck needed for this activity. ⚠️ Important note These activities are specific to Jack and his medical needs. This video is for educational purposes only. Please talk with your child’s own therapist before trying new exercises. ✨ Watch More Videos with Jack Jack’s Playlist → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjM8cf4VN1tDJr3WVctwiPSI 📚 My Books on 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 “Pediatric PT Strengthening Exercises for the Hips” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 “Pediatric PT Strengthening Exercises for the Knees” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 “Pediatric PT Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles” → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 🌍 Captions I review and correct all captions for accuracy. To turn them on or change the language: CC → Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate 👉🏽 Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly videos and tap the 🔔 so you never miss an update!