Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy
According to IDEA section 34 C.F.R. §300.34(a), physical therapy is a related service that “may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.” PT services must be educationally relevant meaning that it must be needed to enable the child to benefit from his or her educational setting. In contrast, medically based PT focuses on optimizing the child’s functional performance in relation to medical considerations and needs in home and community settings. Therefore, a physician’s order alone does not determine the need for educationally relevant PT services.