Physical therapy (PT), like Occupational Therapy is a related service provided
at no cost to children of rural Champaign County who meet the definition of a
disability under either IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
and who have an underlying motor disorder. These services are provided when it
is necessary to enable a student to access or benefit from their special
education program under IDEA, or the general curriculum under section 504.
PT is a medical profession and works with the physician and the medical team to
ensure that the child's medical needs specific to PT are being appropriately
addressed in the school environment to allow him/her to obtain a full, quality
education. PT's area of focus is on overall gross mobility skills. This includes
facilitating a child's ability to transfer in and out of various positions and
the ability to get from one place to another. This may involve walking or
wheelchair use. If a wheelchair or other equipment is required, the PT will make
recommendations and work with the family, the vendor, and the educational team
to facilitate and address equipment needs.
PT also works on the strength and motor planning needed to acquire higher-level
gross motor skills such as running, jumping, skipping, etc. This requires PT to
work closely with the Physical Education curriculum.
In general, if a child is having difficulty in any of these areas, PT works to
not only improve the skill as appropriate, but also works closely with the
educational team to modify or adapt the environment so the child again is able
to receive a full, quality education. A program may be developed and monitored
by PT and carried out by the educational team to help the child reach his/her
goals.
The PT department at RCCSEC works hard to meet the needs of the students. An
evaluation is completed by the physical therapist (who has a minimum of a
bachelor's degree). At this evaluation the physical therapist establishes the
treatment plan and goals that meet the needs of the child and the educational
team. This treatment is then carried out either by the physical therapist or the
physical therapist assistant (who has a minimum of an associate's degree) with
ongoing supervision. The treatment plan and goals are continually re-visited to
ensure that the physical therapy services provided are appropriate and
successful. |