Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Amie Dougherty.
Hi Dr. Amie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Originally from Georgia, I spent my younger years practicing gymnastics or volunteering for the Special Olympics Georgia with my older brother and family. I helped coach, volunteer, and even participated as a united team member in several sports. My favorite memories are when I was the “batgirl” for my brother’s baseball team, unified team member for rhythmic gymnastics, and I loved chaperoning the Special Olympics Georgia State Games; the dances were THE BEST!
I moved to Denton, Texas for college and attended Texas Woman’s University (TWU). I was a member of TWU’s gymnastics team — go Pioneers! I spent 4 years in Denton studying Kinesiology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science. Immediately after graduation, I continued on to graduate school at TWU’s Dallas campus. It is there that I earned my Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2012.
I entered the field of pediatrics upon graduation. Blending my love for the experiences I had with Special Olympics Georgia and the field of physical therapy just made sense to me. It has been a perfect fit, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have practiced in the pediatric home health setting for nearly 11 years in both Dallas, TX, and Denver, CO.
Upon our return to Dallas, I spent some time as a stay-at-home mom. When my son went to school, I was ready to get back out there and practice pediatric physical therapy again. It was then when I discovered the challenges and limitations many families face in Dallas when it came to pediatric physical therapy services for their children. I have always enjoyed educating and helping families navigate gross motor concerns; it’s a true passion. However, I was limited in how, when, and what therapies I could provide for my families under the insurance model. I wanted to do more, I wanted to provide more, and I wanted to give my families quality services that they deserved. And that is why Milestones At Play Physical Therapy & Wellness was created, a private pay, concierge pediatric physical therapy provider. I am able to provide quality, family-centered, play-based pediatric physical therapy services without limitations.
I love teaching and sharing my expertise and knowledge gained over the years with families, both as a mom, therapist, and sibling of someone with special needs. I created Milestones At Play to fill in the gaps between therapy models and to help each child be their unique self.
As a family of 5 — my husband, one kiddo, and two fur babies — we enjoy outdoor adventures, travel, and family bike rides. When I am not working you can find me in “Mom Mode”, on the Peloton (#BooCrew), or doing handstands around the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business is never easy, and imposter syndrome can be real! My husband is a huge supporter and has encouraged me every step of the way. Prior to starting Milestones At Play, I was lucky enough to have many mentors, both clinically and during my days as a clinical manager. My past experiences gave me the foundation and confidence that I could start my own practice. Getting started was the most overwhelming time, all the questions! Thankfully, I was able to connect with other private pay providers who encouraged me and provided support in those early days. There will always be hurdles and obstacles, and there will always be a solution and learning opportunities. I embarked on this journey to have a purpose, to help children and their families reach their goals, and to genuinely enjoy waking up and going to work every day. As long as I remain true to “my why,” the struggles and obstacles will always be worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Milestones At Play Physical Therapy & Wellness?
Milestones At Play Physical Therapy & Wellness provides in-home and virtual pediatric physical therapy and Mommy & Me Motor Milestone Classes, playgroups, and workshops across North Dallas and surrounding suburbs. We bridge the gap between the medical and the early childhood intervention models; we advocate for early intervention AND provide a skilled hands-on approach.
As a private pay pediatric physical therapy provider, our one-on-one sessions offer a play-based, family-centered approach that fosters development of age-appropriate gross motor skills. We are a certified Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) provider and utilize a variety of hands-on techniques to help children achieve independence and reach their gross motor goals. Milestones At Play advocates for early intervention and supports families throughout their therapy journey; we go above and beyond to ensure quality services that your child deserves.
We work with children who experience developmental delay, torticollis/plagiocephaly, hypotonia or low tone, Down’s Syndrome, cerebral palsy, prematurity, toe-walking, frequent tripping or frequent falls, and other orthopedic, neurological, and genetic conditions impacting their motor development.
Additionally, we work with children to prevent delays and limit the need for ongoing services. Many of our clients come to us because they have been told to “wait and see,” yet they want to be proactive. As a private pay provider, we can be proactive! We love educating and problem-solving with parents who are concerned that their child struggles with tummy time, resists rolling, shows a side preference, does not use their arms for balance, skips crawling or crawls with an asymmetrical pattern, or doesn’t progress toward standing and walking as expected.
We are unique in that referrals are not required to get started, our one-on-one sessions are a full hour, AND we are available to you outside of treatment sessions. You can schedule a consultation with us the very next day if you have concerns about your child’s gross motor development via our online booking website. We create individualized treatment sessions at individualized frequencies and design home exercise programs with the whole family in mind, educating and empowering our parents to promote ongoing progress outside of treatment sessions. Our goal is to achieve results in as few visits as possible and in a stress-free environment for all.
Many people view pediatric physical therapy as a service only for children who have complex medical needs, and that is far from the truth. If you have concerns about your child’s gross motor skills (rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, walking), don’t wait and see, don’t continue to worry, Google, or stress about it – a pediatric physical therapist can help. Early intervention is key! We recommend reaching out to Milestones At Play if your child does not tolerate tummy time by 3 months of age, is not rolling by 6 months of age, is not sitting by 8 months of age, is not crawling by 10 months of age, is not standing by 12 months of age, and is not walking by 16 months of age. We are here for you to guide you with purposeful play techniques to help your little one move and groove with confidence!
When you work with Milestones At Play, you’ll find our quality of services are unmatched. You will work with an experienced, results-oriented clinician ready to help you and your little one thrive. We are on your team and cannot wait to help you and your child reach their goals!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, seek out advice from others who have walked the trenches before you, and build true relationships with other professionals in your field. Find a mentor and build a network of other professionals who can build support you and return the favor. It is important to know mistakes will happen, yet it is how you respond and learn from those mistakes that matter. Stay true to your “why,” your mission, and values, and if you can do that, your clients will continue to feel your passion and benefit from your services the most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/milestonesatplay
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestonesatplay
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milestonesatplay
- Other: Online Booking Website: https://milestonesatplay.janeapp.com
Image Credits
Lindy Hickman Photography
Sabrina Gebhardt Photography
Elevate Photography
