SCOPE
The Physical Therapist provides services to students with exceptional educational needs; improves, develops, restores, or maintains students' active participation in self-maintenance, work, leisure and play in educational environments; and functions as a related service personnel under state and federal law and regulations.
The Physical Therapist reports to the Supervisor of Special Education.
Specific roles and responsibilities 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 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA);
- Gathering appropriate information from students, parents, and other team members regarding the child’s functional motor performance in school settings;
- Selecting, administering, and interpreting a variety of screening instruments and standardized measurement tools;
- Collaboratively with students’ IEP teams, examining and evaluating eligible students’ 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 their educational program;
- Measuring and documenting student progress resulting from the designed physical therapy interventions;
- Functioning as a consultant to other school personnel, parents, and students to coordinate the delivery of physical therapy services, which may include: o Interpretation of assessments and recommendations;
- Explanation of the potential impact of developmental, medical and/or sensorimotor impairments on educational performance; o 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; o
- Setting realistic expectations for student performance in school; and o 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 of care; • Coordinating physical therapy interventions within the student’s educational program;
- Adapting environments to facilitate student access and participation in the 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;
- Supporting the safe transportation of students;
- Referring students to other related service personnel and to healthcare providers as appropriate; and
- Serving as a liaison among school, medical personnel, and medical equipment vendors;
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor's or Master's degree in physical therapy from a school accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association.
- Current certification from the National Board for Certification in Physical Therapy.
- Licensed to practice physical therapy in Connecticut.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Apply Online, including all required attachments.
http://www.danbury.k12.ct.us
