Pediatric physical therapist responsibilities.

School-based pediatric physical therapist responsibilities primarily involve strategies and tasks to help students work towards maximizing participation and independence within the school setting.  This often includes movement-based interventions to improve balance, walking, running, and jumping.  

Typical pediatric physical therapist responsibilities.

• Evaluate student motor development abilities and needs. 
• Provide real-life assistance to a variety of patients. (Increase range of motion, restore and/or improve physical function, or manage or reduce pain.)
• Develop solutions by altering students’ physical environment (i.e., making playground changes, using adaptive classroom seating). 
• Encourage independence and confidence. 
• Train educators to address general classroom needs. 
• Communicate progress to teachers and parents. 

Pediatric physical therapist responsibilities can vary widely, depending on the setting, patient age group, and more. A school-based pediatric physical therapist may work with families, teachers, physicians, occupational therapists, and other care providers. 

Deeper dive: pediatric physical therapist duties. 

Evaluate motor development. 

Pediatric physical therapists assess student needs regarding muscle tone, posture, gait, strength, range of motion, balance, and coordination. After developing individualized treatment plans, pediatric physical therapists continue to evaluate development using tools like gait analysis and standardized motor function tests, while ensuring students are making progress toward age-appropriate milestones. 

Work with a wide variety of patients. 

During a typical day, pediatric physical therapists work with children with conditions that affect their movement, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, or developmental coordination disorders. 

Provide real-life assistance. 

Working as a school physical therapist can be rewarding, because you can see students make actual progress in the real world. School physical therapists may provide therapy in classrooms or on the playground to help children with real-world functioning. 

Educate teachers and parents. 

School physical therapists work with teachers and parents to help them understand how they can provide support. For example, the PT can educate teachers on maximizing a child’s safety within a classroom, or parents on how the child can perform some home exercises to make classroom tasks easier. 

Encourage independence and confidence. 

School-based pediatric physical therapists encourage progress through movement-centered games and activities, ensuring that therapy is fun and engaging. 

Why working as a school pediatric physical therapist can be a rewarding career.

Working as a school-based physical therapist offers a unique and meaningful way to affect the lives of students. Therapists help students access their educational environments and build confidence, while improving their physical capabilities. This includes helping students safely navigate the school building, participate in classroom activities, and engage in playground or physical education time. 

There are many reasons why working as a school-based physical therapist can be a rewarding career, including: 

• Direct impact on learning and inclusion: School-based physical therapists help children with disabilities fully participate in education, promoting academic success, peer interaction, and classroom inclusion. As a pediatric physical therapist, you may also be able to provide education to classrooms to help reduce stigma surrounding movement differences. 

• Collaborative teamwork: You’ll be part of an interdisciplinary team, including teachers, aides, occupational and speech therapists, and special education staff. You’ll work closely with parents to ensure that students get the support they need at home to meet their physical therapy goals, and answer questions parents have about how they can best support their child’s progress. 

• Consistent schedules and work-life balance: When you work in a school, you’ll get to follow the school calendar and hours, allowing you plenty of time to run errands or spend time with family. You may also enjoy summer and holiday breaks. 

• Emotional fulfillment: As a school-based physical therapist, you’ll have the chance to make a difference in your students’ lives. Seeing your students make progress day in and day out can be rewarding work. 

Pediatric Therapeutic Services: We’re here to help you make a difference.

More and more school districts recognize the benefits of using a company to hire their school-based therapists. At Pediatric Therapeutic Services, we’re proud to provide school districts with a wide variety of clinicians, including physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, mental health professionals, psychologists, occupational therapists, and more. 

 If you’re interested in becoming a school-based pediatric physical therapist, we invite you to learn more about joining our team. 

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