Pediatric Rehabilitation

Pediatric rehabilitation helps your child get stronger, feel better and do more. Whether your child is a baby, toddler or teen, they can get therapy at CentraCare. Rely on our team to support your child's growth and recovery so they can spend more time being a kid.

Specialized Team Helps Kids Thrive

If your child is recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition or needs support with developmental milestones, we can help.

You'll work closely with experienced, caring professionals at CentraCare to set goals and create a personalized treatment plan for your child. Therapists will empower your child with specialized therapy and support to ensure they reach their full potential.

Multiple Specialists

Sometimes, your child might need help from other CentraCare experts to improve. Your child's plan might include one or more of these experts:

Physiatrists – Doctors who focus on helping kids recover and grow stronger
Psychiatrists and psychologists – Mental health experts who help with feelings and behavior
Dietitians – Food experts who make sure your child eats well
Social workers – People who help your family find support and resources
Other doctors who know a lot about specific health issues

Services Doctors & Care Team Locations

Physical therapist and child

Make an Appointment

Your child needs a pediatric rehabilitation referral from your doctor or nurse practitioner for rehabilitation services and therapy. After you get a referral, choose the CentraCare location location where you’d like to receive care and call to make an appointment.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy helps your child improve body movements, strength and coordination. Get help from a physical therapist for your child who:

Can't move easily or has been hurt
Has autism
Has problems with their brain, nerves or spine
Is slower to learn new skills
Needs help with dizziness, balance or motor coordination
Needs support for their body, like casts or braces
Was born too early
Has plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) or torticollis

Pediatric Physical Therapy Services

Depending on your child’s age and diagnosis, your physical therapist may recommend services to treat your child. Pediatric physical therapy services vary by location. You’ll find:

Warm-water (aquatic) therapy teaches children how to move better in water, which helps build balance, flexibility and strength
Balance testing and treatment checks how steady your child is and helps them improve their balance using exercises and activities
Movement therapy works on strengthening a weaker arm or leg
Developmental therapies increase strength, movement, coordination and other skills appropriate for their age
Medical equipment evaluations find tools to make daily activities easier, like bathing or car rides
Pelvic muscle therapy exercises and strengthens children’s pelvic muscles to help bladder and bowel problems
Serial casting gently stretches tight muscles to make them more flexible or keeps joints in the right position for better movement
Splinting, braces and orthotics support weak or injured body parts
Wheelchair fitting ensures a child’s wheelchair fits right for ease of movement

Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy helps your child develop many skills to do everyday things more easily. An occupational therapist can help your child who:

Finds everyday tasks difficult
Has autism or developmental delays
Has physical disabilities that make movement difficult
Has trouble playing with other kids or understanding social cues
Is extra sensitive to touch, sounds or textures
Needs help recovering after an injury or illness
Struggles to pay attention or plan and organize activities
Was born early or had a difficult birth

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services

Each service and treatment allows children to become more independent, comfortable and capable in their daily lives. Pediatric occupational therapy services vary by location. Therapies match life skills and activities necessary to thrive at home, school and in the community, including:

Daily living skills teach kids to dress, groom and play independently
Warm-water (aquatic) therapy uses pool exercises to improve movement and strength
Thinking skills help with memory, problem-solving and following directions
Movement training encourages the use of a weaker arm or leg
Feeding therapy helps children eat better or learn how to eat and feed themselves
Fine motor control improves hand coordination, allowing kids to grasp, write, use utensils and tools, etc.
Kinesiotaping (special taping methods) supports muscles and joints for better movement
Muscle (myofascial) release loosens tight muscles and joints to ease pain
Reflex integration therapy and rhythmic movement training help kids learn new movements and become more coordinated
Sensory integration and therapy improve responses for kids who are extra sensitive to smell, taste, vision, hearing, touch, sound or movement
Social and emotional behavior support teaches children to manage emotions, accept change and follow routines
Visual (hand-eye coordination) skills help kids see and understand what they're looking at better
Sensory brushing to address sensory issues such as attentiveness, transitioning between activities and motor coordination

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can boost your child's confidence and independence by helping them communicate better. Children of all ages might need help with certain skills. A speech therapist can help your child who:

Finds it hard to understand what others are saying
Has trouble with reading or writing or putting words together to make sentences
Has voice problems (like a hoarse voice)
Says words unclearly or is hard to understand
Starts talking later than other kids their age
Struggles to swallow or eat certain foods
Stutters or repeats sounds when speaking

Pediatric Speech Therapy Services

Count on us to tailor your child’s therapy to their age and needs to address pronunciation, language understanding and social skills. Pediatric speech therapy services vary by location. CentraCare services include:

Auditory processing therapy helps kids better understand what they hear
Cognitive therapy helps with thinking skills after head injuries
Communication device training teaches sign language or the use of special tools for non-verbal children
Dyslexia support assists children with reading difficulties
Hearing (Cochlear implant) device support assists kids in learning how to speak
Language and communication therapy for children who need help with:
- Putting words together to express thoughts
- Getting words out correctly
- Slurred speech
- Stuttering or cluttering speech
Language therapy improves how kids understand and use words and sentences
Social skills training teaches children how to talk to others and understand social cues
Swallowing therapy makes eating and drinking safer and easier for kids
- VitalStim – Uses electrical stimulation to improve swallowing
- Video swallow studies – Examines swallowing function
- FEES – Uses a camera to assess swallowing
- Feeding therapy – Helps fussy eaters try new foods
Talking (articulation) therapy teaches kids how to make sounds and say words so others can understand them better
Voice therapy enhances voice quality and loudness

Team-Based Treatment

Sometimes, your child may get rehabilitation help from more than one type of therapist. You'll work with a care team to give your child the best possible care and:

Find the right equipment (special chairs, beds or car seats) that make your child comfortable and safe
Show your child how to eat different foods and swallow safely
Create support devices (splints or braces) that help your child move better
Choose the best wheelchair to fit your child and make sure your child sits in it comfortably

Pediatric Rehabilitation Services Availability

CentraCare pediatric rehabilitation services are available only at certain locations. The following chart shows which locations have physical, occupational and speech therapy services.

Location	Physical Therapy	Occupational Therapy	Speech Therapy
CentraCare - Albany Clinic – 320-845-6108	X
CentraCare - Becker Clinic – 763-261-7000	X
CentraCare - Benson Hospital – 320-843-1340	X	X	X
CentraCare - Long Prairie Hospital – 320-732-7264	X	X	X
CentraCare - Melrose Hospital – 320-256-4231, ext. 24241	X	X	X
CentraCare - Paynesville Hospital – 320-243-7704	X	X	X
CentraCare - Paynesville - Richmond Clinic – 320-243-7704	X	X	X
CentraCare - Redwood Hospital – 507-637-4606		X	X
CentraCare - Sartell Rehabilitation – 320-229-4988	X
CentraCare - Sauk Centre Hospital – 320-351-1772	X	X	X
CentraCare - St. Cloud Home Health & Hospice – 320-259-9375		X	X
CentraCare - St. Cloud Plaza Rehabilitation (Pediatric) – 320-229-4976	X		X
CentraCare - St. Cloud Southway Rehabilitation – 320-240-6955	X	X
CentraCare - Willmar Rehabilitation Center – 320-231-4175	X	X	X
CentraCare - Willmar Clinic – 320-231-5000		X
CentraCare - Willmar Skylark Clinic – 320-231-5000	X