Physical Therapy Implementation in Florida Public Schools

Purpose: To determine what variables influence physical therapists\u27 decisions regarding service implementation. Individual preference for certain methods was also investigated. Subjects: 66 licensed physical therapists who were currently employed by the Florida public schools system were surveyed. 38 surveys were returned, however five had to be omitted yielding a return rate of 50%. Method: The survey was self-designed and consisted of seven closed-ended questions regarding years experience, educational training, caseload size, preferred method of implementation, and variables considered when making implementation decisions. Frequency distributions were calculated and Chi-square analyses were performed for all variables. Results: Integrating therapy into classroom activities was the method of delivery preferred by 22 of the respondents. A majority of respondents, 88% valued student need as the most important criteria used for implementation decisions. Conclusion: Student need is considered the most important factor for determination of service delivery. Physical therapists working for Florida\u27s public school system prefer to integrate their therapy into classroom activities. Whether or not this method is being used as widely as it is preferred is a subject for future study