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Each child who comes to The Children’s Place is offered a full range of treatment services: evidence-based therapies; educational curriculum designed for traumatized pre-school children; occupational therapy; and speech and language therapy. In the last year, we have been fortunate to add additional professional expertise with the volunteer service of Julie Sykes, a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience. Recently, Julie has been working with Luke*, a young boy who had been extremely neglected by his drug addicted mother.
Luke was 10 months old when he arrived at TCP but was functioning at the level of a three-month old. He was not able to hold his head up, had difficulty sitting up and could not roll. Julie focused on developing his strength and muscle control. She worked with him to relax his stiff neck and shoulders allowing him to more fully move his head around. With Julie’s assistance, he learned to roll over and then crawl on his own. Julie worked with his legs, flexing and motoring. Soon he was reaching for toes with his hands. As Julie reports, “He was happy to discover he had feet!”
Julie is passionate about the transforming impact that physical therapy can have on a child’s life. She observes how the world is very physical and how we are able to move in it is so important. Luke is a great example of this. As he gained control of his physical movements, his confidence and independence grew too. He is no longer passive, uninterested in what is going on around him. He sits up, holds his head alert, his eyes are wide open taking everything in. He is responsive to people and exploring his environment on his own now.
Julie has worked with children who have had greater physical challenges than those at TCP. She thoughtfully notes that what is different about TCP's children is that their home experiences have been so hurtful. They have been abused, neglected and for many, the touch of another human being has been a bad thing. Sensitive to their painful experiences, she says “I am very mindful of that each time I touch one of these children. I want them to know how good and caring a hand can be. As I help them with their movements, I want them to feel a restorative and kind touch.”
Read another Story of Success about the Children we Serve
*Not his real name
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