Question:
What is considered normal development in terms of crawling for infants? If a child scoots instead of crawling at 15 months old, is time better spent trying to help him access his environment by walking or trying to get him to crawl?
Answer: By Joan Bohmert, PT, MS
Normal development describes the typical skills children achieve as they grow. While most infants will crawl on hands and knees, it is not uncommon for a child to scoot on his seat. Self-initiated movement to explore his environment is what is important. A child will choose to move if he is motivated or wants to; and he will choose the method that works best for him at the time. If scooting is effective for him he will probably skip crawling and go right to walking. You can encourage walking by placing things he likes at a height that requires him to stand and move toward the object.
If there are concerns about development or movement, a physical therapist can provide an appropriate evaluation and work with the family to develop a plan to facilitate movement.
Biographical Information
Physical therapist and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) member Joanell A. Bohmert, PT, MS, and certified clinical instructor is a full-time clinician with Anoka-Hennepin School District in Anoka, Minnesota, with a focus on pediatrics and neurology. She has worked with pediatric and young adult clients for more than 25 years incorporating the concepts of patient-centered evidence based
practice into patient management, clinical instruction, and clinical research. She also is an adjunct faculty member for the University of Minnesota, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Bohmert received her bachelor’s degree and Master of Science from the University of Minnesota. An active member of APTA, Bohmert served on
APTA's Board of Directors for 7 years, one of which she was vice president. She also has held board appointments with the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS) and the
Foundation for Physical Therapy. Additionally she served as chair of APTA’s Branding Task Force and the Task Force on the Future Role of the Physical Therapist Assistant and she has served on APTA's Steering Committee for the Physical Therapy and Society Summit and its Research Summit. Prior to serving on the APTA Board of Directors, Bohmert served two terms as president of APTA’s Minnesota Chapter. She was and continues to be actively involved in state and federal legislative affairs serving as a federal key contact and as an issue expert for direct access. Bohmert participated in the development and revision of the APTA's Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, Hooked on Evidence Neuromuscular Clinical Case Scenarios for child with cerebral palsy, and APTA's Advanced Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program. Bohmert is associate editor of Neuromuscular Essentials: Applying the Preferred Physical Therapist Practice Patterns and has authored two chapters on Applying the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice and one chapter on Physical Therapy in the Educational Environment.
