A Pediatric Physiatrist is a physician who practices pediatric physiatry, a subspecialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation which concentrates on identifying children of all ages who are at risk for developmental disabilities. Pediatric Physiatrists focus on helping pediatric patients achieve age appropriate developmental skills and independence in self care and mobility. In the pediatric patient population the pediatric physiatrists provides two types of intervention, habilitation and rehabilitation. Habilitation refers to the acquisition of new function. Habilitation is an appropriate intervention for the premature infant at risk for developmental delay or the full-term infant with congenital anomalies.
Rehabilitation refers to the restoration of lost function.
Rehabilitation is an appropriate intervention for toddlers, children and adolescents who have sustained injuries that result in loss of previously mastered skills. Habilitative and rehabilitative services save health care dollars through early intervention of developmental delays and by maximizing functional recovery following an accident or serious illness. Providing patients with age appropriate mobility and self-care skills enables them to leave the acute care setting earlier and return to their families, their schools and their communities. Pediatric Physiatrists are also actively involved in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of childhood injury and disability. Primary injury prevention is promoted through community based educational programs addressing issues such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and safe transportation of children with special mobility needs.