Physical therapy is a related service provided to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. School physical therapy focuses on a child’s ability to move as independently as possible in the school environment. The school physical therapist evaluates the child’s postural control, ability to move throughout the school and to participate in classroom activities.
Physical therapy interventions encompass facilitating gross motor development, remediating movement problems that impair function, using compensatory strategies to overcome movement difficulties, adapting equipment, and preventing further impairment.