Emily Stefan, PT, DPT, Durham, NC (2025)

01/27/2023

My stories last week about inclusivity in parks sparked some interest, so here we go!
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This is something that MAJORLY slips under the radar to many people, especially those who haven’t spent time with people with disabilities. So let’s talk about it! My goal is to educate and answer questions, so leave them in the comments below!
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Children of ALL abilities deserve to play at a playground. And just because the website says “ADA accessible” doesn’t mean that it is inclusive. The ADA sets low standards, if we’re being honest.
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Addressing another question asked- If you do find a very awesome inclusive playground in your area and you have children who are typically developing, I encourage you to choose this park! It’s made for ALL people, not just disabled individuals. Disabled children want to play with all kids, no matter what their mobility looks like!
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Please check out my highlight on inclusive books that you should add to your child’s library to introduce lots of different abilities in your home!
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DURHAM residents: the only inclusive park in our city is Morreene Road (but it’s really only partially inclusive). Let’s work to educate so we can change this!!

11/16/2022

Let’s celebrate 3,000 followers! I can’t thank you enough for supporting my journey on Instagram.
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As a thank you for following me, I’m giving away one of my new favorite shirts from and a $15 gift card!
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HOW TO ENTER:
✔️ Like and save this post
✔️ Follow
✔️ Tag a friend (if you tag more than one, please keep it all in one comment)

BONUS ENTRY:
✔️ Share this post to your story and tag

Giveaway Rules in caption! Winner announced on Sunday 11/20. Good luck!

11/01/2022

I felt like this picture deserved its own post 🤍💗
Have fun celebrating tonight and be safe, be inclusive, and be kind!

11/01/2022

Emily Stefan, PT, DPT shared a post on Instagram: "Progress makes perfect 💗 ••• These lyrics have me over here crying because I often give kids and caregivers all the credit for the progress that they make. Which is mostly true. But this family constantly reminds me of what I’ve been doin...

08/05/2022

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It’s GIVEAWAY TIME! 🎉⁠

I couldn’t be more excited that my first giveaway ever is the Upseat. The Upseat was created with bony alignment and gross motor development in mind, which is why it is the ONLY seat I recommend to families. It is the perfect seat for play time, snack time, and even beach time! This seat is so lightweight that it can travel wherever you go. I am simply in love with it!
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TO ENTER:
✨LIKE and SAVE this post
✨Follow and
✨Tag as many friends as you want in separate comments below

CONTEST DETAILS:⁠
U.S. and Canada only. Per Instagram rules, this promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 18+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use. Giveaway ends Sunday, August 7th at 11:59PM PST and winner will be announced here within 24 hours of end. Reminder to never give out personal or financial information, as we will never ask that of you!

07/18/2022

Trying something new this week! I have a busy week on my hands and may not have time to post, but I do have time to address concerns and questions!
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Ask me anything in the comments and I will address it in my stories this week. If you’d prefer your question to be anonymous, send me a message and I’ll share without your name 😊

06/26/2022

Potty training with toddlers is difficult, but potty training those who have physical challenges seems like uncharted territory. I hope that these tips help your child become more independent and confident on the potty!
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1. Use a Toddler Training Potty If Possible
Sometimes the easiest way to start potty training is by using a toddler potty. With a toddler potty, your child does not have to climb up to a big potty and feel like they are falling inside of it when they sit down. If a toddler potty does not work for your family or is not supportive enough for you child, move on to tip #2!
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Tip 2- Use a Seat Insert
This helps your child feel as if they are secure and not falling through the toilet seat. This will give them a better base of support and improve balance while sitting on the toilet.
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3. A step stool with tall railings
First, the steps and railing helps your toddler get up to the toilet independently. Secondly, it helps with the coordination of turning around once it‘s time to sit down- they can move their hands on the railing and use them for balance as they turn and sit. Third, once your child sits, they have foot support which further enhances balance and security.
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4. Keep in Mind What Your Toddler is Wearing
A big part of independence with pottying is dressing and un******ng. Anything with zippers and snaps may be more difficult to navigate independently. Velcro and stretchy waistbands are great to promote independence. Tight pants and jeggings may be more difficult to pull down and up than shorts or looser jeans. You can always size up if necessary!
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Communication with School or Daycare
If your child is in school or daycare, communicate with them what works for you at home. Chances are, they are probably helping them go to the bathroom. If you are promoting independence, have your school apply the same tips that you use at home. They should be willing to make adaptations and buy the same equipment if necessary.

05/06/2022

Hey PTs! Wanna know my guidelines for recommending SMOs? Here is a little cheat sheet I use!
Step 1- look for indications of foot/ankle instability. This can be flat arch, calcaneal eversion, toe curling, wide base of support, etc. NOTE: just because they have any of these does not mean they NEED SMOs. There is a fine line between overprescribing foot support and not providing enough. However, if you do see some of these signs, go through your next checklist:
✔️haste child been standing a considerable amount of time with no change in foot position? it is very common for the feet to do these things when babies first start standing. However, as babies weightbear more and gear up for walking, the foot position may change and become more stable. If it doesn’t, this may be an indication that SMOs will help.
✔️ Is the babe making progress towards walking or have they been doing the same thing for a while now? If the child has not made progress from standing to cruising to walking, this may be another indication that SMOs will help.
✔️Does the child seem to be in pain when weightbearing? If the flat arch or instability is causing pain, DEFINITELY an indication to add more stability with an SMO.
✔️ Will it affect them in the future? This is a tough one. Depending on severity, foot instability can affect bony alignment in the future. Remember, our bones form based on the forces that are placed on them. Also remember that our feet are our BASE of support. Meaning that if we don’t have an aligned and stable base, it could affect the knees, hip, spine, etc. So if there is any risk for bony alignment malformation as they grow, I recommend SMOs.
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One more piece of advice: do not “wait and see”. SMOs can take a couple months by the time they get measured, sent out for fabrication, and delivery. The earlier we intervene, the earlier we can get closer to walking in a better alignment!

04/15/2022

Chooing a daycare can be one of the most stressful tasks for new parents. A daycare that prioritizes gross motor, fine motor, and speech skills is worth looking for. I’ve created this simple guide of things to look for in daycares that do foster this development in your Little’s early life.
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Most daycares will allow you to tour the facility (virtually or in person). If you are not able to tour the daycare for some reason, ask these questions!
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*Please note: if your child is using containers at daycare and is learning new skills on an appropriate timeline, don’t worry about container usage! BUT- if your little one is using containers AND delayed with skills, decreasing container usage will help!
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More info on each of these categories on the blog (link in my stories and link to blog in my bio)
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With a little research, some coffee, and a prayer, you will find the right daycare for you!

04/12/2022

Common lines, leads, and tubes I work with in pediatric home health!
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It is hard to summarize a device in one photo, so I did my best to help give y’all a general idea of why and how it’s used, PT implications, and what happens if it is dislodged.
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I remember being terrified of these things when I was a student, so tag a PT school friend now to save their life!
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These devices are not scary at all! Just take some getting used to during a treatment session!

04/08/2022

Alternatives to baby containers!
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Containers, like seats, swings, and bouncers aren’t banned in the PT world, but we do want to promote as much time possible out of them! Here are several alternatives, however not all inclusive, to using a container.
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I do understand that containers are useful and sometimes you just need them! I recommend about 15 minutes in containers a day.

03/21/2022

Let me be the 156917th person to remind you that you should NEVER GO TO GOOGLE for medical advice. This includes pediatric milestones!
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For proof, I googled the major milestones and wrote down the first result that came up. Most of these aren’t too far off, but let me tell you how concerning this can be once you start googling.
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I was actually surprised that it said 4-6 months for rolling. HOWEVER, there are some sites that say rolling can happen as early as 2 months. This is true, but it is not purposeful at 2 months old, meaning it was probably due to the head being bigger in comparison to the body and the top-heaviness helps a baby gain momentum. They do not actually have the strength and coordination to roll consistently at 2 months old.
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I was also surprised that rolling was reported later than what a pediatric expert recommends. From a PT perspective, kids may start prop sitting at 5 months, and sitting independently by 6, however it’s not usually independent enough for parents to put their kids down and walk away. This is usually closer to 7 months.
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If crawling happens at 6 months, I’d be slightly concerned that your baby hasn’t built the core strength and stability in sitting yet! Typical ranges to crawl is between 8-11 months. It can look like an army crawl at first!
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Walking- first steps can happen ANYWHERE between 12-18 months. I am not concerned about a child not walking UNLESS they aren’t showing any signs of walking by 16 months.
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I hope this helps clears up some confusion and encourages you to STOP GOOGLING!

Emily Stefan, PT, DPT

01/27/2023

11/16/2022

11/01/2022

11/01/2022

08/05/2022

07/18/2022

06/26/2022

05/06/2022

04/15/2022

04/12/2022

04/08/2022

03/21/2022

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