What happens at a child’s first visit?
The first visit is mostly about getting to know your child and you. The physiotherapist talks with you, watches your child play and move, and then explains what they saw.
Because it is at home, your child is on familiar ground, with familiar toys and people. This can make a nervous child more at ease than a new clinic would.
What will the physiotherapist ask?
Expect questions about your child’s story. These are the usual topics.
- Pregnancy and birth, and when your child sat, crawled and walked.
- What worries you, and what the paediatrician or clinic has said.
- Daily routines: sleep, play, school or nursery, and who minds your child in the daytime.
- Any pain, tiredness, falls or things your child avoids.
- What you hope your child can do.
Your answers matter as much as the examination, because you know your child best.
How is play used?
Children do not do exercises on command. The physiotherapist turns movement into games: reaching for toys, walking along a line, kicking a ball, stacking blocks or climbing on cushions.
While your child plays, the physiotherapist watches balance, strength, coordination and how they move. Your child may enjoy the whole thing without realising it is therapy.
What should I gather and bring?
A little preparation helps.
- Doctor’s letters, reports and any scans.
- Your child’s health record book from the clinic.
- A list of medicines and allergies.
- Favourite toys, a snack and a water bottle.
- Photos or short videos of the movement that worries you.
Clear a play space on the floor, away from the television, and let your child dress in light clothes.
How do I prepare my child for the visit?
Keep it simple and positive. Tell your child a friend is coming to play and move with them. Avoid describing it as a treatment or a test.
Our guide on preparing your child for physiotherapy has ways to talk to a nervous child. If your child has had a hospital or clinic visit, use that memory to explain what will be different.
What if a grandparent or helper minds my child in the day?
In Ipoh homes, a grandparent or helper looks after the child while parents work. Invite them to the first visit, or show them a short video of the play activities afterwards.
A child who practises the same game with every adult at home makes steadier progress. Tell us who is home on weekday mornings, so we can plan the visit when the key people are there.
What happens after the first visit?
You can ask for a short summary of what we found, and a few simple play activities for the week. Ask how frequent the visits might be and what to look for as progress.
Read how progress is checked in child physiotherapy progress. Our paediatric physiotherapy page and home physiotherapy page explain more. Prices are quoted on WhatsApp.