1. Claire Post
Monica Rank
AP Lit
18 April 2012
Speech Outline
Hi my name is Claire Post, and I am going to be talking to you about the process of
Pediatric Physical Therapy.
Have you ever been faced with the struggle of having a child that is disabled,
underdeveloped, or who maybe be considered to be a little different than the
other children around them? Well I personally of course have not had a child
with any such disabilities, but I am truly moved by children who are
considered less fortunate than others. Therefore, that is the sole reason as to
why I chose to talk to you today about the Pediatric Physical Therapy Process.
Going back to as early as the seventh grade I have always been drawn to the special education
students within the school setting. In middle school I par took in “lunch bunch” which was a
select group of students who went and ate lunch with the special-ed students of the school in
order for them to be able to talk to their fellow school mates. I worked side by side with them to
develop the social skills that do not come naturally to them as they do to others who are
considered more fortunate. Furthermore, I did not stop there. Throughout middle school I
became a peer helper and worked with the special-education children of Creekland middle
school. Then, the big high school years came and I still did not lose sight of what was important
to me, which was those kids. I have worked with them from as early on as middle school and I
and now am a Peer facilitator. I see the students on a day to day basis and I help them with
anything that they could possibly need me for. However, when I was given the assignment of the
senior project I thought to myself,” I can do more than just be a friend to a child who needs me,”
I can change their life and make a bigger impact. Therefore, I decided to study the field of
Pediatric Physical therapy, and see the other spectrum of instruction that is not seen from the
classroom setting.
By me deciding to do my project on Pediatric Physical Therapy I did not want to focus on the
field as a whole, with it being way too broad. I desired to work with the children that were
diagnosed with what I was familiar to working with in the previous years. Therefore, I looked
into the field of Down syndrome, Spina Bifida, and other illnesses that deal with under
development such as being born premature. Therefore, I deepened my interest and worked side
by side with a therapist to monitor the progress of a young girl named Kyra as she went through
the stages of physical therapy. I knew nothing about Kyra or the physical therapy process but I
2. was eager to learn and see what can be done rather than just being there with them in a
classroom.
In the same way, the topic of my research was the physical therapy field as a whole as I
previously mentioned, and what the overall goal of therapy is and the end results that come of it.
By doing my research paper is how I realized that I needed to study a smaller field and narrow
down what I wanted to learn about, because the whole field itself is much too complex. Through
my research I leaned that therapy is not only to help an individual improve their overall body
functionally, but to make that individual the most independent they will possibly ever be in a
working household. I chose this particular topic because ever since I was a young girl I have
always wanted to be a special education teacher. As I grew in age and worked side by side with
the special education students in the classroom setting I never lost interest, but rather inquired
more and more. I chose to study the pediatric physical therapy process, because I wanted to be
the person who makes the difference and makes each child as independent as they can possibly
ever be. I wanted to be the one that made the big difference in each child’s life forever.
My research paper relates directly to my project because without the research I gathered, I would
not have known nearly as much information about what was occurring during each session. Also,
the therapist I was observing could easily communicate the exercises in which she was
performing and I could pick up what was occurring. Although I couldn’t by any means diagnose
a child and develop a therapy plan for the individual, I could after my research and study of a
child develop an overall therapy goal that in the end could be obtained.
Now I’m going to tell you about the process I followed in creating my product.
In order to complete my senior project my facilator was Monica Rank. Monica has studied the
field of Physical therapy and has for many years been practicing out of Walker Therapy. When I
was looking for a facilitator I desired to work with someone who was in the field of therapy in
which I could see myself in the future. Monica was the absolute perfect pick and was even better
because she was willing to stand by my side through the whole thing.
In creating my project I had to contact Walker Therapy and ask them if it was ok with them if I
observed Monica’s therapy sessions, very willingly they agreed.
I was introduced to a young girl named Kyra who is diagnosed with Spina bifida. She was in a
wheel chair upon me first seeing her, and Monica explained to me that her overall therapy goal
was and what I would be observing over the next months to come would be the overall progress
she would make towards walking the best she could.
Furthermore, in order to complete my project I needed to gather all of the information on Kyra
and get her back ground information in which to better understand what was medically in
balanced with her. Therapy for her was not a new thing, with her having been going to see
Monica every week for years. Kyra having spina bifida has caused her to have a permanent
3. spinal injury. When she was born her spine was exposed out of her body, which caused serious
nerve damage. Although when she was born she was immediately taken under the surgery table,
she will most likely in the future also face skulliousus. Along with Kyra having her spine being
exposed she also had a shunt put into her head to alleviate the excess spinal fluid that was was
draining off her brain. The shunt allowed that extra fluid to be moved from the brain and down to
the abdomen cavity. Kyra has partial paralysis bellow her waste. Her right side however has
much more functional than her left. She is able to bend her knees and point her toes, she does
however face some weakness in her trunk. Kyra is medically stable with her spina bifida going to
therapy and treating it; however, not long ago Kyra was diagnosed with epilipse. She had a
massive seizure that sent her to the emergency room and required her to now also be diagnosed
with the disorder.
Establishing a meeting schedule with my facilator was not a huge challenge for me. Monica was
very willing for me to attend her sessions with her, and me knowing when she worked when I
could go I would just let her know and she would be expecting me. Scheduling never posed an
issue for neither her nor me.
In addition to what I learned there were some obstacles that I had to overcome. When I went to
my first session I had no idea what to expect walking into unfamiliar territory. I was comfortable
around Monica but I was worried about the children’s parents not really wanting me watching
their children. Although I did obtain permission from Kyra’s mother to monitor her progress and
use her as my case study it was still a worry to me. Also, what I found the most challenging was
knowing what to do, where to stand, and overall how to get the most out of each session. For
example, Kyra was playing and asked me to hand her piece to a puzzle that was across the room.
Of course without any thought behind it I jumped right up to help my little friend out. What I did
not know was that Monica had placed that piece there so that Kyra would have to work her way
over to get it so she could see her improve her mobility.
All in all through the sessions I did gain more confidence and was able to speak up and ask
questions that I wanted to know. I would also assist Monica handing her objects that she needed,
cleaning the equipment after each use, talking to her after each session, and overall gaining the
true insight of what it is like to be a therapist.
Overall, what I have learned from my project can truly not be put into words. I have learned
positive work habits, knowing how to perform certain tasks and ways to go about certain things.
I also most importantly leaned that Pediatric Physical Therapy is what I want to do with my life.
The overall goal of therapy is to make each child as independent as they possibly will ever be in
the working world setting, and me being the one that is holding that child’s hand as they take
their first steps with the tears rolling down my face right there beside them will make all of the
hard work and dedication that it requires worth it. I plan to attend North Georgia in the fall and
jump right into the therapy field and fulfill my dreams and desires.
4. Thank you guys so much for your time. At this point I will do my best to answer any questions
that you might have.