Revert "remove unneeded function, https://github.com/phetsims/chipper/issues/1286"
Revert "remove unneeded function, https://github.com/phetsims/chipper/issues/1286"

This reverts commit abe11f37dcd5d1903e7478c91a4648c256bf85da.

phetsims/perennial,phetsims/perennial,phetsims/perennial