Definition of Physical Therapy:

Physical Therapy in the educational environment is different than the more commonly understood clinical environment of rehabilitation. School based therapy is intended to meet the functional needs of students. Physical Therapy promotes success by removing barriers from the students’ ability to learn. The focus is on the impact the physical disability has on classroom performance rather than on the disability itself.

Physical Therapists (PT) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) are members of the Individual Education Program (IEP) team. Physical Therapy is considered a related service within the educational plan and must have a relationship to the students’ educational performance. PT/PTAs work collaboratively with the IEP team in screening, evaluating, educating staff and family, program planning and intervention. They assist in the development of skills to increase the independence of the student within the educational environment. The educational environments include, yet are not limited to, classrooms, playgrounds, cafeterias, transportation, community mobility, vocational settings and fieldtrips.

 Links:

 American Physical Therapy Association