Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy Program

What is the Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy Program?

Seattle Children’s has the only program in the Seattle area with sports physical therapy for young athletes with mental and physical disabilities. We focus on helping school-age children, teens and young adults with disabilities heal after sports injuries or surgery to repair a sports injury.

We work with young athletes with disabilities at any skill level who want to:

  • Return to play.
  • Prevent injuries.
  • Improve overall performance.

Sports medicine at Seattle Children’s also involves:

How will the Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy Program meet my needs?

  • Care custom-made for your child
    • Our main goals are to safely return your child to play and to prevent future injuries.
    • We take into account your child’s unique needs, including their strength, range of motion and muscle tone.
    • Our physical therapists (PTs) create a custom care plan based on your child’s abilities, age, sport or activity, physical condition, adaptive equipment and performance goals.
  • Experts on children’s abilities and conditions
    • Our PTs focus on how sports can affect the growing muscles, joints and bones of a child with a disability.
    • Each PT on the team is trained and experienced in treating bone, joint and muscle conditions along with symptoms related to the nervous system, such as paralysis and spasticity.
    • We have the experience to explain exercises and programs in ways each child can understand.
  • We take a team approach
    • We partner with you and other members of your child’s medical team.
    • If your child has a coach, we can include them in the plan.
    • We also work closely with your adaptive equipment vendor to make sure we get the best equipment and fit for each athlete in their sport.

What kind of patients are treated by the Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy Program?

Our licensed PTs work with young athletes who may have:

  • Neurologic or developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy
  • Spina bifida
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Down syndrome
  • Symptoms related to cancer treatment
  • Muscular dystrophy (MD)
  • Blindness
  • Deafness
  • Stroke or traumatic brain injury
  • Orthopedic disabilities, including dwarfism, skeletal dysplasias, amputations or limb differences

We address a wide range of sports injuries, including:

What services do you offer?

Our comprehensive services include:

Assessments and testing

  • Pre-participation screening

    Before your child starts a sport, we check their bones, muscles and joints. We suggest a plan to help them prepare.

  • Biomechanical analysis (the study of range of motion and muscle tone)

    First we look at how your child moves. Then we help your child change their stroke or stride or swing to adjust for the way their body moves. A rehab plan may help your child strengthen some muscles or get better at certain skills.

  • Video analysis

    After watching video of your child in motion, a PT can teach your child changes that may help them heal from or prevent injuries during their sport.

  • Return-to-sport testing

    Before your child goes back to sports after an injury, we check their strength, balance and movement and how long they can be active (endurance).

  • Readiness for first-timers

    If your child with a disability wants to try sports for the first time, we assess them and develop an exercise program to help prepare them. Then we connect them with community programs. These include Special Olympics, Seattle Adaptive Sports, Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center and Outdoors for All.

Therapy

  • Treatments to help relieve symptoms and improve healing

    To ease your child’s pain and help them heal, we may use ultrasound, neuromuscular electric stimulation (NMES) or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

  • Taping and bracing

    Tape and braces may support an injured body part or take the pressure off it as it heals. These aids also help athletes be more aware of their posture and movement.

  • Fitting and biomechanics of adaptive equipment

    We make sure equipment fits and your child knows how to use it the right way. Examples are braces or adaptive equipment, like a wheelchair for basketball.

Scheduling an Appointment With Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy

  • If you would like a referral to Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy, talk to your primary care provider.
  • How to schedule an appointment at Seattle Children’s.
  • If you already have an appointment, learn more about how to prepare .
  • Learn about Sports Physical Therapy resources such as useful links, videos and recommended reading for you and your family.

Locations

Hospital Campus 
4800 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center 
1500 116th Ave. NE
Bellevue, WA 98004

Seattle Children's Everett
1815 13th St.
Everett, WA 98201

Seattle Children’s Federal Way 
34920 Enchanted Pkwy. S
Federal Way, WA 98003

Telemedicine at Seattle Children’s

You may be offered a telehealth (virtual) appointment. Learn more.

Who’s on the team?

Our Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy Program includes:

  • Board-certified orthopedic (bone, joint and muscle) specialists
  • Rehabilitation specialists

All of our licensed PTs have advanced training in pediatric rehabilitation. Their specialties include:

  • Orthopedic and neurologic deficits
  • Injury prevention
  • Posture and body mechanics
  • Video analysis of running and gait
  • Throwing and overhead sports
  • Dance
  • Gymnastics
  • Team sports

Leadership

  • Mimi Racicot, PT, DPT, SCS

    Mimi Racicot, PT, DPT, SCS

    Interim Director, Rehabilitation Services

  • Steve McKenzie, MSPT

    Steve McKenzie, MSPT

Team

Physical therapists - Seattle Campus

  • Summer Ice-Tseng, DPT

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Physical therapists - Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center

  • Kaitlin Thompson, DPT

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Physical therapists - North Clinic in Everett

  • Janine Huang, DPT

  • Steve McKenzie, MSPT

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Physical therapists - South Clinic in Federal Way

  • Cari Anderson, PT, DPT

  • Natalie Johnson, DPT

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Resources for Patients and Families

You and your family may find helpful information on these pages and in these patient handouts.

Adaptive recreation activities

To help promote physical activity and recreation for all members of our community, Seattle Children’s has compiled an Adaptive Sports and Recreation directory (PDF). It is listed with other useful links on our Sports Physical Therapy Resources page.

Contact Us

For more information, contact Adaptive Sports Physical Therapy at 206-987-6400. If you would like an appointment, ask your child’s primary care provider for a referral.

Providers, see how to refer a patient.

Paying for Care

Learn about paying for care at Seattle Children’s, including insurance coverage, billing and financial assistance.

Access Additional Resources

Get resources for patients and families, including information on food, housing, transportation, financial assistance, mental health and more.