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What Should I Expect At My Baby’s Evaluation For Torticollis?

If you have noticed several signs of Torticollis in your baby, your next step is an evaluation with a pediatric physical therapist.  Before you go, it may help ease your stress if you know what to expect.

What will the therapist do with your baby?

A physical therapist will look for a variety of things during the assessment including:

  • Range of motion of the neck muscles – The therapist will gently turn your baby’s head to both sides to see if any of the muscles in the neck are tight and may need to be stretched
  • Strength of the neck muscles – The therapist will have your baby turn their head to both sides as well as up and down to see the strength of the muscles in the neck
  • Head Shape – The therapist will look to see if there is any flatness on your baby’s head, which is common with the diagnosis of torticollis
  • Gross Motor Skills Development – The therapist will place your baby in a variety of positions such as on their back, side and belly to see if their gross motor skills are age appropriate

How long will the evaluation take?

For your baby’s evaluation with an LLA pediatric physical therapist, it can take approximately an 1 hour for the assessment process and to discuss a treatment plan with you.

Should I bring anything to the evaluation?

You may want to bring any toys that your baby enjoys looking at/interacting with. Often your baby will be more comfortable with familiar toys that they use at home. This is helpful to the therapist so that they can see a true picture of what your baby typically does at home.

Then What?

After the therapist has assessed your baby, they will discuss the findings and a treatment plan with you.

  • Assessment Summary – The therapist will let you know if they notice any concerns with your baby’s neck range of motion, neck strength, head shape, gross motor skills and/or any other relevant information they find during the assessment.
  • Treatment Plan – The therapist will discuss how often and for how long you and your baby can expect to come for treatment. They will also teach you how to perform daily stretches with your baby at home.  Last, the therapist will give you tips and strategies for what to do at home to help your baby improve their range of motion, strength, head shape and gross motor skills.

Remember to ask as many questions as you need if you do not understand the findings of the assessment or if you feel uncertain about how to perform the daily stretches or how to carry out the tips and strategies at home that are recommended.  You are an important part of your baby’s life and of their treatment, so here at LLA, our Physical Therapists want you to feel confident and comfortable!

To schedule an appointment for your baby’s evaluation, call us at (330) 867-2240 or click here!

-Kelly Raines, PT, DPT

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Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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