Katie Woosley

October is National Physical Therapy Month and I thought this would be a great time to talk about why I love being a pediatric PT! 

My sweet mom always said I would end up going into pediatrics and to no one’s surprise she was right! I have been working as a peds PT for about 2 years now, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Having the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of children and their families brings me so much joy. 

Here are a few of my favorite parts about being a pediatric PT:

Seeing a wide variety of diagnoses

PTs often specialize in one area (orthopedics, neurology, sports, cardiopulmonary, etc.), but in peds I see it all! I rarely look at one system in isolation and get to integrate different areas of PT into my evaluations and treatments. I am always learning something new!

Working with other disciplines 

I have always enjoyed interdisciplinary care and fortunately there are ample opportunities for it at my clinic. Many of my kiddos also receive occupational and speech therapy and I often collaborate with other providers to provide the best quality care possible. For example, I often incorporate sensory regulation techniques I’ve learned from my OT colleagues to help improve a child’s ability to participate in their PT session. I occasionally co-treat with OT, and we are able to address OT and PT goals simultaneously. I also frequently work with orthotists and equipment providers. Orthotics and equipment have always been more challenging areas for me and I have learned  so much about them since I started working! 

Sessions are fun and creative! 

PT is all about function, and for kids this usually means play! It is so important to make therapy meaningful, functional, and enjoyable for each kid. I often find myself having to think outside the box about how to incorporate a specific toy or game into my intervention to target a specific skill. A typical session often involves obstacle courses, bubbles, climbing playground equipment, animal walks, imaginary play, or sports. It may look like we’re just playing but they are working hard! This career definitely keeps me young and active as well because I’m often performing the activities or exercises with my kids to increase their engagement or model movements. I do my fair share of balance beam walking, jumping jacks, push ups and frog jumps throughout the day haha.

Building relationships with children and their families and celebrating all the “little” victories —-the best part!

One of the things that sets PT apart from many other healthcare professions is how much time we get with our patients. In pediatrics specifically, we often see our patients consistently over months or even years, and the bonds you form are so special. You get to know each child beyond their diagnosis or goals. You learn their personalities, their favorite toy or song, and their routines. Nothing’s better than watching a child go from being scared or upset during their first session to running up to you for a hug a week later because they are so excited to see you and go “play”. 

In pediatrics, we also get to educate and empower parents/caregivers throughout the therapy process. I love when a parent comes in so excited and can’t wait to show me what they’ve been working on at home! It truly is a collaborative effort and it is so rewarding to watch a parent become confident in helping their children reach their goals.

It is such a privilege to be able to build trust, provide support, and help create an environment where children can thrive and achieve their goals. It’s an even bigger privilege to get to witness a child perform a skill they’ve worked so hard on for the first time. Nothing beats seeing the joy on a parent’s face when a child takes their first steps or the excitement of riding a bike without training wheels for the first time. Discharging a child is often bittersweet because I’m so proud of all they’ve achieved but will miss seeing their smiling faces each week. 

This career is often physically and mentally taxing, but those little victories, the relationships I build, and seeing how resilient these kids are is what keeps me inspired and excited to go work each day. I feel incredibly fortunate to do a job that allows me to make a difference, continue learning, build meaningful relationships, and have a little fun along the way. I may be biased, but I truly think being a pediatric PT is one of the best jobs in the world!