Southlake doctors find unique approach to helping kids reach developmental milestones
By Madison Sawyer
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SOUTHLAKE, Texas (KTVT) — Combining physical therapy and chiropractic care is a whole-body approach to therapy that helps children overcome developmental setbacks and reach milestones previously thought to be impossible.
The only place in the world that offers the unique care is in North Texas. At KinActive Kids in Southlake, Dr. Emily Heisey and Dr. Matt Otteman help children experiencing developmental delays by working together for treatment.
“We don’t want the diagnosis to define the child,” said Otteman, co-owner of KinActive Kids.
“We don’t want to have any kind of preconceived notion of, ‘Oh, because of this diagnosis, you’re only going to do this,'” Otteman said.
Otteman focuses on chiropractic care while Heisey focuses on physical therapy.
“What that does is it creates this accelerated therapy for that child because they are releasing restrictions,” said Heisey, a pediatric physical therapist and co-owner of KinActive Kids. “We’re able to get them working in this new range of motion and then functionally teaching them skills that are going to last throughout their life.”
The KinActive Kamp sessions are challenging but the results are clear. Video after video shows children doing things doctors never thought possible.
Their reach stretches around the world. Millions have watched their videos on TikTok and they have half a million followers on Instagram.
“I just was tired of that image, that something was wrong with your kiddos. So … I tried to put a fun spin on it, but also I tried to show what happens in a session,” said Heisey.
Families travel to Southlake from all over the country and the world. Among them are Liam and his family, from Georgia.
“When you prepare for your first baby, you prepare for the best in it, and the swaddles and whatever. But no one prepares you for, but wait, what if your child has special needs? What if your child can’t do this?” said Victoria Mendoza, Liam’s mom.
Liam has a rare genetic disease. Heisey and Otteman saw opportunities, not limitations in him.
“When [Liam] first came in, [Mendoza] was like, ‘Doctors have said just to keep him comfortable because he will eventually deteriorate and die.’ And I said, ‘Excuse me, what?’ I see this sweet, beautiful little boy over here,” Heisey said. “And I’m like, he has so much potential. Are you serious? I actually couldn’t understand it.”
Within the first two weeks, Heisey and Otteman taught Liam how to sit up on his own, giving him independence on the floor.
That was just the beginning. Now, Liam can walk a mile.
“I think that’s the foundation of what we do,” Otteman said. “I think every person on this planet has a God-given potential to their life. He’s just using us in these kids’ lives to help them reach their potential. It’s not us. It’s God working through us.”
Their practice isn’t governed by the insurance model, which Heisey and Otteman said gives them more freedom to design programs that fit the child’s needs. To help with costs, they partner with local and national charities to provide grants.
Heisey educates parents on topics like helping babies sit, crawl and even walk.
“I just wanted this to be a safe space where it’s more about education. Be proactive,” she said. “If you have an issue, let’s deal with it. Let’s move on.”
Heisey and Otteman teach millions of parents through free videos on social media. They teach the concept of purposeful play, utilizing inexpensive items like sensory sticks or fidget spinners to promote movement.
“It’s creating fine motor skills where they can use their hands, bring their hands to midline,” Otteman said. “You can also move it around so they may need to work on head control. They’re looking to the right things over to the right side.”
Little by little, purposeful play can pay off.
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