A–Z Service Directory

The Children’s Physiotherapy team at Eastern Health Community Health work with children and their families who are experiencing physical and gross motor skill related problems. They provide assessment and management of infants and children up to 12 years old on an individual basis. Children’s physiotherapists are available to provide assessment and management for children with a wide range of paediatric conditions.

Reasons for referral may include:

• Plagiocephaly (flat or misshapen head in infants)
• Torticollis / head turn preference (usually presenting at birth)
• Talipes (foot posture issues usually presenting at birth)
• Muscle tone variations – low tone "floppy" or high tone "stiff" in body, arms and legs
• Normal postural variations (e.g. in-toeing, bow-legged, knock-knees, flat feet)
• Developmental delay (not reaching gross motor ‘milestones’)
• Developmental disorders, pre schoolers who are not eligible for early intervention
• Gait variations/abnormalities (concerns with how a child is walking)
• Joint pain / back and neck pain

Please refer to alternate services:

• Infants who are referred under 12 weeks old may be seen by the acute paediatric outpatient team.
• For a non-school aged child with moderate to severe developmental delay/issues and requires more than 2 allied health therapies e.g. Speech Pathology and/or Occupational Therapy as well as Physiotherapy please refer to Early Childhood Intervention Services through Central Intake.
• If a child has a known diagnosis (e.g. Down’s Syndrome, Fragile X, Cerebral Palsy) where there is other government funding available e.g. Better Start, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), please refer to Early Childhood Intervention Services (ECIS/ECEI) for pre-school aged children or a Private Practitioner for school aged children.
• For a school aged child with moderate to severe issues requiring more than 2 allied health therapies e.g. Speech Pathology or Occupational Therapy as well as Physiotherapy please discuss referrals with their school.
• For children post injury/illness/surgery that require intensive multi-therapy care, please refer to Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS)
• Children who qualify for early intervention services (ECIS/ECEI), the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS) or qualify for therapy through their school.
• Children attending another physiotherapy service

Frequently Asked Questions

Healesville Hospital and Yarra Valley Health

For children living in the Yarra Valley area

Maroondah Hospital

For children living in the eastern suburbs