Concerned About Three Year Old That Doesn't Seem Able to Jump or Pedal

hi
my daughter turned 3 and didnt jump. She also didnt take both feet off the ground at the same time and didnt do stairs well.. I asked her pediatrician at her 3 yr appt and she didnt seem concerned but told me I could take her to have a physical therapy assessment. Physical therapy concluded she needed to be seen once a week to work on her gross motor development and in 3 months she was jumping and going up and down inclines. I am very happy we went and saw PT. Maybe your md can give you a script to have your son seen and evaluated? Good luck!

You are right to be concerned. My son qualified for two hours of Occupational Therapy because he had gross and fine motor control delays.

At age three, call your school district in your area and they will get you pointed in the right direction. You can also do this privately, but it is quite expensive.

It could just be nothing and he will catch up soon. I worked at a Head Start and had several children at 3 and 4 who could not pedal. I only ran into the not jumping a couple of times and they also improved by the end of the year. Maybe you could get him a little trampoline, one of the jogging ones (just saw they were only $29 at Walmart) and maybe that would help him.

But if you are really concerned I would contact the Child Development Services in your area. They should be able to tell you if there is any reason to be concerned. Due to lots of budget cuts and all, he may not qualify for services through CDS but they should be able to tell you if he would qualify for something like OT/PT through your insurance. It's definitely worth looking into.

BTW - what does NP stand for?

My oldest son also couldn't jump or pedal as soon as other kids, but now (at 5) he's totally caught up. He was actually advanced in other motor skills (he started walking at 10 months and is much more active in general than other kids his age). He has taken a gym class since he was 2 1/2, and I remember his trying to jump in that class but never actually getting his feet off the floor when other kids could already jump. So, although I suppose it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on your son's development, I don't think those two failures are necessarily cause for concern.

I would take your concerns seriously and seek out some help either through the dr or early intervention.

If he runs barefoot on lineoluim (sp) does it sound irregular?

when you said he can climb stairs is he alternating feet. left on step one, right one step two, left of step three OR is he going left on one right on one, left on two right on two??? can he go with out holding on to you or the railing (be safe about this though)

I love the advice to hold is hands and jump with him. playing fun games. Good luck
I'm guessing he gets around just fine and it won't be a huge issue but there maybe something you can do that will help him alot!!

We went through the exact same thing! My son was referred for OT/PT at his public preschool and then we followed up with private summer services. Private evaluation and services were covered by our health insurance -- we just paid office visits copays which still add up but it wasn't super expensive.

Things that we noticed -- inability to jump from the ground or off a step, pedal, or alternate feet on stairs -- if these are all true you are probably looking at a gross motor delay. It is probably not a big deal but the earlier you deal with it the less frustrating it will be for him and the easier to deal with as he won't have ingrained habits from compensating. I wish we had started sooner because while my son can do all of those things now it was much harder to "retrain" him to do them the right way. I also found that my son was so advanced in other areas (reading at age three, etc) that he easily gave up at anything physical because it was hard for him and he was not used to having to work at something. Make it fun and don't let him give up too easily. My son can jump and pedal now but he still won't jump off things with two feet -- getting out of the car he basically sits on the floor of the car and steps down one foot at a time where other kids would just hop out.

Things that worked best for him -- a mini trampoline with a handle, horseback riding with an occupational therapist, for pedaling we got him a tandem attachment for my husband's bike so he could feel what it should feel like, sit-ups and other doctor recommended exercises to strengthen his core muscles, making little obstacle courses in the backyard that required jumping and other activities that were tricky for him, etc.

By the way, this is not at all uncommon even though you start noticing what other kids can do and feel like your kid is the only one who can't -- I was amazed how many moms I talked to with the same concern.

Good luck!

Just practice. Jump on the bed, get a little rebounder for the house (mini trampoline). They all learn at different speeds. I'm sure he'll jump when he's ready.... just practice.... he's only 3. Can he jump off the side of a swimming pool into the water? Try that this summer.

Two thoughts, see an occupational therapist and a physical therapist. The OT will be able to tell you if it is a matter of his ablity to plan, and then use the muscles acordingly. The physical therapist can tell you if the issue is an underdeveloped muscle. Both were issues for my daughter. She could not jump, and had OT for many reltated movement issues, and had a coordination disorder. Things improved for her, and she injured her leg running, because she ran with a funny gait (she still could not jump at age 13!) and we saw a physical therapist, who said that one of her hips was weak, so after about 8 weeks of phsyical therapy and excercises, she can now, at age 14, jump. Someting to check out.

Sometimes, it is a pretty simple fix.

M.

My youngest is 4 and he still doesn't pedal but the not jumping is something I would be concerned with. Id make an appointment to have him checked out with early intervention.

Not sure about the jumping, but my son didn't learn to pedal for a long time. He is 12 now and fine.

I would call my pediatrician's office and ask for a referral to have your son evaluated by an occupational therapist. You can also call your school district and request that he be evaluated (free of charge) to determine if he has any gross motor delays and qualifies for their early childhood program. If he does, then he will most likely receive OT from them while he is attending their pre-k.

It's been my experience though, that when you seek out a private evaluation, then the professional is usually more candid about what is going on, what your child really needs in terms of services, and what goals are reasonable to work toward during the next 6 months to a year and so on. Definitely contact your school district to take advantage of that service if your son does quality but, if you can afford a private eval, then I would also seek that out as well.

My 3 year old can't pedal, and it is about they time they start to learn to jump as well. Work with him. If you are concerned, have him evaluated by ECI. He is over the age limit, but they can offer resources, or you can call your school district.
http://www.mpf.org/SPIN/FAQ%20Sheets/EarlyIntervention.html

"Jumping (24 to 36 months)
Between 2 and 3 years, toddlers learn how to jump off low structures, and eventually how to jump from a standing position. Both of these skills require bilateral coordination, or the ability to use both sides of your body to do something different. How you can help:

Go curb hopping. Holding your child's hand, stand next to her on a curb or a low step and say, "One, two, three, jump!" then jump down simultaneously.

Practice leapfrogging as a prelude to jumping from a standing position, which is more difficult than hopping off a step. Show your child how to get down into a half-squat position and throw her arms up while she hops. Gradually she'll figure out how to jump from a standstill. "

from here:
http://www.parenting.com/article/toddler-milestones