Published On: October 1, 2018
  • physical therapist with young girl
It’s October! And for physical therapists all around the country, that means it’s National Physical Therapy Month! Those in the profession wish to raise awareness of what physical therapists do to help individuals manage pain, improve their mobility and their functional ability. The ultimate goal is for individuals to live healthier lives.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) began its efforts to recognize the profession in 1981. The month-long campaign aims to recognize the physical therapy profession and its outcomes for those individuals who benefit from physical therapy.
At Easterseals Crossroads, physical therapy plays a key role for many children and adolescents in our community. We are fortunate to employ three individuals who work in the profession:
  • Kathleen Brinegar, PT, DPT (who works in our children’s therapy north clinic and at local schools)
  • Deanna Proimos, PT, DPT (who works in our children’s therapy south clinic and at local schools)
  • John Kelly, PTA (who provides home modification services)

Kathleen was able to take a few moments to answer some questions about what she does as a physical therapist at Easterseals Crossroads.
What do you do at Easterseals Crossroads and how long have you been doing this type of work? I see children in an outpatient setting at our main facility and in homes through First Steps early intervention services and in some local schools. I have been at Easterseals Crossroads since June 2017.
What is the best part of your job? The best part of my job is seeing kids be proud of themselves for making progress on the goals on which we have been working. I really enjoy seeing the pride in progress from the parents and the child.  When a family member sees the joy in accomplishment, that is truly my favorite part of what I do.
What is a typical day like for you? A typical day is pretty busy and crazy, but I enjoy spending the 40 – 60 minutes with each child individually and switching gears to focus entirely on that child. I love the different personalities!
How do you incorporate play in to physical therapy?  I try to make every activity we do fun and playful. I think this is important because play is part of development and growing. If we can achieve physical therapy goals while playing, I am extremely happy! Incorporating play also gives the family easy ways to incorporate physical therapy into their home routine.
Why do you think Easterseals Crossroads is such a great place? I think Easterseals Crossroads is a great place because it is so comprehensive. We attempt to help our consumers in as many ways as we can through various programs. I also like how all  of us (as service providers) communicate and collaborate to provide the best care. We all are very compassionate and we keep our patients’ best in mind at all  times.
How important is family involvement in the success of physical therapy for children? I believe family involvement is key to the success of physical therapy. Everything I do won’t make progress if it’s not followed up at home and if the family isn’t invested in our physical therapy goals. I love when parents are involved in  our sessions and can give me feedback and information about their child’s progress, personality and abilities. This is why I try to have good communication with families as much as possible and check in regularly to make sure I am meeting the family’s goals. It makes all the difference!
Learn more about Children’s Therapy Services at Easterseals Crossroads.