Metrotelepractice In Metropolitan Detroit

History of TheraSuit

Richard and Izabela Koscielny are physical therapists, who have a daughter diagnosed with cerebral palsy and tried out suit therapy with her. After significant improvements with the suit, they modified and created their own suit specialized for therapeutic benefits, called TheraSuit™.

How Does TheraSuit Work?

• TheraSuit worn over a prolonged time will correct proprioception and accelerate progress with functional strengthening
• Skills practiced become more fluent when TheraSuit is worn
• TheraSuit facilitates the development of new gross and fine motor skills faster than typical therapy approaches

Benefits Seen with TheraSuit

• Retraining the central nervous system
• Restores ontogenetic development
• Provides external stabilization
• Normalizes muscle tone
• Aligns the body to as close to “normal” as possible
• Provides dynamic correction
• Normalizes gait patterns
• Provides tactile stimulation
• Influences the vestibular system
• Improves balance
• Improves coordination
• Supports weak muscles
• Decreases uncontrolled movements in ataxia and athetosis
• Improves body and spatial awareness
• Provides resistance to muscles to further enhance strengthening
• Improves speech production and fluency through head control and trunk support
• Promotes gross and fine motor development
• Helps decrease contractures
• Helps improve hip alignment through vertical loading

Patient Populations

• Most major neurological diseases/diagnoses:
  
  • Autism
  • Down Syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Cerebral Vascular Acciden
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Spinal Cord Injury

• Posture/alignment asymmetries

Intensive Physical Therapy Schedule

• Intensive physical therapy is meant to be done 3 hours/day, for 5 days/week for 3-5 weeks
• Recommended to complete 3-4 intensive bouts of therapy throughout the year
• Breaks between the bouts have been shown to be more beneficial for the patient vs continuously pushing for months on end
• Recommended to complete HEP 1-hour/day to compliment exercises done in intensive, allowing the patient to not only maintain, but improve their functional abilities
• The schedule of 4  weeks was created specifically in order to change the neuro-pathways, and allow for increased improvements

In General

• Week 1 works on correct muscle activation and beginning to complete basic concentric exercises
• Week 2 works on solidifying concentric movements and working into eccentric movements
• Week 3 solidifies the eccentric movements and introduces isometric holds
• Week 4 focuses all on isometric holds, working into more complex exercises, as well as creating POC and HEP for time off between bouts of intensive

Work to decrease primitive reflexes and general movements that are present → goal-directed movements → selective effective strategies → refining skills → maintaining through practice

Are you concerned about your child’s toe walking habits? Toe walking, a common concern for parents, can sometimes be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the connection between toe walking and autism is crucial for early intervention and support.

What is Toe Walking?

Toe walking refers to a walking pattern where a person walks on their toes or the balls of their feet without their heels touching the ground. While occasional toe walking in toddlers is common, persistent toe walking beyond the age of two may indicate an underlying issue.

The Connection with Autism

Toe walking is often observed in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While not all toe walkers have autism, studies suggest that many children with ASD exhibit toe walking behavior. Children with Autism often have higher sensory seeking behaviors, and being up on their toes gives them deep sensory input through their feet and in their contracted calf muscles. This connection can lead to more targeted interventions and support from therapists and parents.

How Can a MetroEHS Physical Therapist Help?

Physical therapy plays a crucial role in addressing toe walking in children, especially those with autism. A skilled physical therapist can:

• ‍Assess the Underlying Causes: A physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify any underlying factors contributing to toe walking, such as muscle tightness, sensory issues, muscle weakness, or lack of range of motion.‍
• Develop Individualized Treatment Plans: Based on the assessment, the physical therapist will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your child’s needs. This plan may include stretching exercises, strengthening activities, balance training, or different sensory inputs.‍
• Educate and Empower Families: MetroEHS Physical Therapists work closely with families to educate them about toe walking and provide strategies for home exercises and activities to support their child’s progress.

Toe-walking can impact your child long-term if left untreated:

Toe walking will impact your child’s overall body positioning, posture, and muscles. With toe walking, because of these impacts, it will also change the load of the body’s joints and likely cause chronic pain as the individual ages. It is common for toe walkers to lose range of motion in their ankles, preventing them from being able to reach their heels to the ground and causing their Achilles tendon to shorten. In more severe cases, if the Achilles tendon shortens too much, the only way to regain that length is with a surgical lengthening.

Take the First Step Towards Support

If you’re concerned about your child’s toe walking or suspect they may have autism, early intervention is key. Schedule an evaluation with a qualified physical therapist who specializes in pediatric care. Together, we can help your child take confident steps towards improved mobility and independence.

When your child needs therapy, it is common to hear about several different types of support. You may be told your child could benefit from speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or behavioral therapy. Each of these services can play an important role in your child’s development.

But for many children, progress can happen more smoothly when those therapies work together instead of separately.

That is the idea behind integrated therapy.

Integrated therapy means your child’s providers work as a team. Rather than having each therapist focus only on their own area, they collaborate, communicate, and build one coordinated plan centered on your child’s everyday growth and success.

Kids Do Not Develop One Skill at a Time

Children do not learn in neat, separate categories. A child who is working on communication may also need help with sensory challenges, motor skills, social interaction, attention, or behavior. These areas often overlap in daily life.

For example, a child may struggle to express their needs clearly, but that same child may also have trouble staying regulated, joining play, or managing transitions. One challenge can affect another.

When therapy is integrated, children can receive support in multiple areas at the same time. This often helps them make progress faster because the people helping them are all working toward the same bigger picture.

One Team, One Plan

One of the biggest benefits of integrated therapy is that your child is not working with separate providers who all have different goals. Instead, the therapists share strategies and work together.

A speech therapist may introduce a new way for your child to communicate. An occupational therapist may help your child practice that skill during play. A behavioral therapist may reinforce it during social routines or structured activities.

Because the same skills are being supported in more than one setting, children often have more chances to learn, remember, and use them.

This team approach can make therapy feel more connected and more purposeful.

Skills Are Practiced in Everyday Ways

Children learn best when they can use their new skills in real-life situations.

If a skill is only practiced during one therapy session each week, it may take longer for that skill to become natural. But when a child practices the same skill in different activities and across different therapies, it can start to stick more quickly.

This kind of repeated practice can help children build confidence, use their skills outside of therapy, and become more independent in daily life.

That might look like using communication skills during play, practicing motor skills during a routine activity, or learning how to handle transitions with support from multiple therapists who are using the same approach.

Parents Get Clearer Support Too

Integrated therapy is not only helpful for children. It can also make a big difference for families.

When providers work together, parents are more likely to receive one clear plan instead of separate instructions that may feel overwhelming or hard to connect. This can make it easier to understand what your child is working on and how to support that progress at home.

Many families find that a coordinated approach helps reduce confusion, makes home practice more manageable, and keeps everyone focused on the same goals.

When therapy feels more connected, it is often easier for parents to feel confident in the process.

Why Coordination Can Lead to Better Progress

Research has shown that children in coordinated, multidisciplinary therapy programs often experience strong benefits across many areas of development. These may include improved communication, better motor skills, more independence in daily routines, and stronger participation at home and at school.

When care is coordinated, children may have an easier time carrying new skills from one activity into another. Instead of learning something in isolation, they begin to use it more naturally in everyday life.

That is often where meaningful progress happens.

The Goal Is Real-Life Success

Therapy is not only about checking off goals in a session. It is about helping children communicate, move, play, participate, and grow with more confidence in their daily lives.

An integrated therapy model supports that by bringing people together around your child’s needs. It helps ensure that therapy is not fragmented, but connected in a way that makes sense for how children actually develop.

The Bottom Line

Children grow in many ways at once, and their therapy can work the same way.

When therapists collaborate as one team, children get more consistent support across different areas of development. That can help them build skills faster, use them more confidently, and make progress that carries into everyday life.

Because every child deserves support that helps them thrive.

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