Pediatric Therapy and Rehabilitation

Children develop at their own pace, but some take a little longer and need help. We provide therapy services where children are most comfortable, including at home, school, or in a childcare or outpatient facility.

Why Does My Child Seem to be Behind in Talking/Walking/Eating?

It can be challenging to determine whether a child is progressing at their own rate. Or if they’re experiencing a developmental delay and would benefit from pediatric therapy.

Some children with developmental delays begin showing obvious signs early on, such as difficulty with talking, eating, or walking. Other children show subtle signs that can be easy to miss.

To identify developmental delays, look for these signs within the six major areas of childhood development:

• Gross motor: Gross motor skills, such as crawling, throwing, or walking, should become easier and more fluid as your child ages.
• Fine motor: Fine motor skills involve smaller actions, such as picking up a spoon or holding a toy. If your child struggles to grasp and hold things or always uses the same hand, they may be experiencing a fine motor delay.
• Adaptive: Adaptive delays occur when children can’t engage in age-appropriate self-care skills, such as feeding themselves, using the toilet, getting dressed, or helping around the house. Lack of progress in these areas may be cause for concern.
• Communication: The most common developmental delays involve issues with language and speech. Children with speech and language delays often have problems expressing themselves or understanding others.
• Social and emotional: Children with social and emotional delays often have problems expressing their emotions and have difficulty interacting with other children and adults.
• Cognitive: Children with cognitive delays may have problems with memory, attention span, retention of information, learning, following instructions, and imitating actions and words.

Developmental delays have many causes, including hearing or vision problems, issues related to premature birth, physical conditions that impair muscle function, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder.

Identifying and addressing issues early can greatly influence your child’s development.

Pediatric Therapy and Rehabilitation Services at Virtua

Virtua’s pediatric therapy and rehabilitation team partners with parents to help them understand their child’s development. We then give them tools to help their child reach their fullest potential.

Our team offers specialized services to meet the needs of children from birth up to age 21, including:

Pediatric early intervention

To determine if your child is experiencing developmental delays, Virtua’s early intervention team can evaluate your child at home or in a childcare facility.

This team of trained specialists includes:

• Behavioral therapists
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech therapists
• Teachers of the deaf
• Teachers of the handicapped
• Social workers
• Special education teachers

Our specialists assess and treat your child’s self-help skills (feeding/dressing), learning abilities, communication skills, motor skills, sensory development, behavior, and social interactions.

Parents don’t need a physician referral to access this service. To be eligible, children must meet certain criteria, such as:

• Age 3 or younger
• Show measurable and defined deficits in specific areas
• Already have a specific medical diagnosis, such as autism, impaired hearing, cerebral palsy, or a neurologic or orthopedic disorder

If eligible, our evaluation team will create an Individual Family Service Plan to help your child develop to their fullest potential.

For additional information on Pediatric Early Intervention services in New Jersey, please visit njeis.org.

School-based therapy services

Virtua’s team provides school-based therapy services for children ages 3 to 21 in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester county schools. School therapy services are provided in public and private schools, charter schools, homes, and via telehealth.

We work with the district’s child-study and educational teams to ensure that the students’ mandates, documentation, and quality of services are fully compliant. We also offer training sessions for school professionals, parents, and caregivers.

Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies

A videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) is a diagnostic test for infants, toddlers, and children that uses fluoroscopy to assess what happens in your child’s mouth and throat when they swallow.

Board-certified radiologists and speech-language pathologists analyze your child’s mouth and throat structures to see how they work during eating, breathing, and swallowing. The test helps determine what food and liquids an infant or child can eat or drink safely.

A VFSS may be appropriate if your child:

• Coughs or chokes during feeding
• Takes longer than 30 minutes to drink a bottle
• Has difficulty consuming the amount or type of food recommended for their age
• Has a history of poor weight gain or is diagnosed with “failure to thrive”
• Has a history of unexplained respiratory congestion or illness
• Is tube-fed, has a history of swallowing problems, and you’re considering reintroducing food by mouth
• Gags excessively with feeding
• Forgets to breathe, experiences skin color changes, or sweats during feeding
• Describes a sensation of something in their throat
• Experiences difficulty swallowing large bites or certain textures

Aqua Buddies

The Virtua Aqua Buddies swim program teaches children with special needs how to swim. These group classes are taught by a licensed physical or occupational therapist who will help your child:

• Swim safely
• Strengthen core muscles
• Relax in the water
• Learn basic swim strokes
• Improve overall coordination

Children age 2 and older are welcome, but those who aren’t potty-trained must wear a swim diaper. A parent or guardian must accompany the child in the pool for instruction and carryover.

There are three sessions a year, and classes are held at Virtua Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation - Cherry Hill at Springdale Road.

The Aqua Buddies Swim Program receives a grant from the New Jersey Pediatric Patients’ Charitable Trust Fund, Inc., which allows qualified participants to receive a reduced class fee. The grant money is available to children who qualify on a first come, first served basis.

Outpatient pediatric therapy

Our therapists provide a range of pediatric services in some Virtua outpatient physical therapy locations, including treatment for:

• Speech and language delays and disorders
• Gross motor disorders
• Sports injuries and concussions
• Torticollis

Pediatric mobile services

Virtua's Pediatric Mobile Services Program aims to address the health needs of children across South Jersey. The mobile program provides pediatric services to children living in medically underserved and impoverished urban and rural communities across Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties. Services include:

• Developmental, vision, and hearing screenings
• Oral health education and dental screenings
• Flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines/boosters
• Lead education and blood level screenings
• Back-to-school physicals
• Referrals to specialized service