Angelina Grothe has advanced by leaps and bounds as an aspiring gymnast.
The 7-year-old also has hurtled forward with assistance from physical therapy and occupational therapy, both of which have assisted her prowess as a gymnast, the Monterey Herald reports. Angelina has such strong coordination and balance that she's able to perform cartwheels, handstands and traipse on the balance beam. Her adoptive mother works in the Monterey County Screening Team for Assessment, Referral and Treatment, also known as MCSTART.
Occupational therapist Deborah Rounsville, who works with the MCSTART program, said occupational therapy is one method of offering therapeutic intervention.
"If they feel like they're doing therapy, you're doing it wrong. It should be fun, it should be play. When kids play, they're giving you 100 percent," Rounsville told the publication, noting significant effort also goes into working with her clients' parents. "It's unique that I spend so much time educating the parent; that's cutting-edge."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for occupational therapists are growing and careers are projected to grow for treatment to the elderly.