Won’t Take Steps in a Walker? Try This Simple Fix 👶🏻🚶🏻‍♂️ | Down Syndrome PT #113

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. Thank you again to this wonderful family for welcoming me back. In this session, I’m working with Everett 🧑🏻‍🦰, who has Down syndrome. Everett is 2 years, 4 months old. He was born almost two months premature, had corrective heart surgery, and has a G-tube. I first met him at 11½ months and have followed his progress as he grows stronger and more mobile. Everett can belly crawl and pull to stand. However, he is not yet able to crawl on hands and knees, and when he stands, he often leans his trunk on support rather than holding himself upright. Today, we are working on helping Everett take **consecutive steps in a Rifton walker** while encouraging more active weight bearing through his legs. 🚶🏻‍♂️ What We’re Working On In this setup, Everett is in a Rifton walker without the chest prompt. Instead: • The back bar of the walker provides support at his hips • He holds onto the hand grips in front Previously, when Everett used the chest harness, he tended to hang into it. By removing that support, he is now required to take more weight through his legs and actively participate in stepping. To encourage stepping: • I provide gentle side-to-side weight shifts at the trunk • I assist one leg to step forward to trigger the other • As the walker moves forward, the back bar gently cues him to step forward ⏱️ Video Chapters 0:00 Meet Amy 👩🏼‍🦳 & Everett 🧑🏻‍🦰 0:15 Walker setup without chest support 0:40 Initiating stepping 1:00 Using weight shifts to encourage steps 1:25 Getting consecutive steps 2:00 Managing wide leg position 2:30 Using one step to trigger the next 3:00 Wrap-up ⭐ What you’ll see • Rifton walker setup without chest prompt • Facilitated stepping with weight shift • Early consecutive steps • Positioning to improve step symmetry • Adjusting leg placement to reduce wide base 🌟 Why this helps Children 👶🏽👶🏾👶🏻 with Down syndrome or motor delays may: • Take weight passively through support devices • Have difficulty initiating steps • Stand or walk with a wide base This approach helps: • Encourage active leg loading • Promote stepping patterns • Build toward consecutive steps • Improve alignment during walking 🧠 Clinical note Often, helping one leg take a larger step makes it more likely the other leg will follow. Carefully placed assistance can help the child begin to link steps together into a more continuous walking pattern. If a child’s legs move too wide, gently guiding them back toward midline can improve efficiency and alignment. Try: • Reducing support (when safe) to encourage participation • Using gentle weight shifts to initiate movement • Assisting one leg to trigger the next step • Practicing short bouts of stepping throughout the day Families 👩🏽‍👦🏻👨🏾‍👧🏽👩🏻‍👧🏾 often find that repetition leads to gradual progress. *Uncertainty note: The effectiveness of reducing support (such as removing a chest prompt) varies by child and should be adjusted based on individual needs.* ⚠️ IMPORTANT These videos are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for in-person pediatric physical therapy. It would be unethical for me to provide specific treatment recommendations without personally evaluating your child. 📬 Contact Email: amysturkey@gmail.com 📚 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 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 📺 Everett Playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjPqgM4rbEV8G1bMdC1Dyzaw