• Physical Therapy in a School Setting

    School-Based Physical Therapy:

    • Part of a team of related service providers who support a student’s ability to access his/her educational environment
    • The primary role of the school PT is to help students benefit from their educational program within the educational environment.
    • PT may also provide consultation to a child’s educational team (teachers, aides, other therapists, and parents).

     From American Physical Therapy Association (APTA):

    • The PT designs and performs therapeutic interventions, including compensation, remediation, and prevention strategies and adaptations, focusing on functional mobility and safe, efficient access and participation in educational activities and routines in natural learning environment.
    • PTs are integral members of the school-based teams that ensure a free and appropriate education for students with disabilities, and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

    Specific Roles and Responsibilites include:

    • Participating in the IEP/504 process, including collaboratively determining the need for physical therapy as a related service under IDEA or as a reasonable accommodation under Section 504 of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
    • Gathering appropriate information from students, parents, and other team members regarding the child’s functional motor performance in school setting.
    • Selecting, administering, and interpreting a variety of screening instruments and standardized measurement tools.
    • Collaboratively with student’s IEP team, examining and evaluating eligible student’s strengths and needs to establish their ability to participate in meaningful school activities and routines with or without assistance.
    • Designing and implementing physical therapy interventions that allow students to benefit from educational program.
    • Measuring and documenting student progress resulting from the designed  physical therapy interventions.
    • Teaching and training family members and educational personnel in an effort to help the student achieve his/her IEP goals.
    • Functioning as a consultant to other school personnel, parents, and students to coordinate the delivery of physical therapy services, which may include: interpretation of assessments and recommendations; explanation of potential impact of developmental, medical and/or sensorimotor impairments on educational performance; instruction of other caregivers regarding the physical management of students, such as safe lifting, positioning, assisted ambulation, gross motor programs, vocational tasks, leisure activities, and/or equipment use; setting realistic expectation for student performance in school; selecting, modifying, or customizing adaptive equipment and assistive technology.
    • Forming partnerships and working with other team members in the school setting to promote an effective physical therapy plan.
    • Coordinating physical therapy interventions within the student’s educational program.
    • Educating school personnel and families to promote inclusion of students within the educational setting by developing, demonstrating, training, and monitoring the effectiveness of strategies and intervention activities, and subsequently using gathered data to make program modification decisions. This includes the use of assistive technology for access and participation in the general education curriculum.
    • Support the safe transportation of students.
    • Referring the students to other related service personnel and healthcare providers as appropriate.
    • Serving as liaison among school, medical personnel, and medical equipment vendors.

    References

    American Physical Therapy Association. (2016). Physical Therapy in a School Setting. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/Advocacy/Federal/Legislative_Issues/IDEA_ESEA/PhysicalTherapyintheSchoolSystem.pdf