How to Become a Pediatric Physical Therapy Practitioner

A pediatric physical therapy practitioner is trained and educated to offer rehabilitative programs to children. Their patients may have suffered an injury, undergone surgery or may be presenting a congenital condition. Pediatric therapy programs can be designed to assess joint range of motion, muscle power, neurological function, motor control and posture to improve strength to the affected region. Pediatric therapy meets the needs of a large population. Patients with congenital and non-congenital conditions as well as developmental delays can benefit from the rehabilitative programs of pediatric physical therapy. Follow these steps to find out how you can become a practitioner.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Know the Requirements to Become a Pediatric Therapy Practitioner

1. Confirm your interest and desire to work with children by volunteering in pediatric hospitals, clinics and pre-schools that work with disabled children.

2. Enroll in a pediatric physical therapy medical program that offers course work and clinical teachings. Here, you can help children prevent and recover from surgery and injury.

3. Register for a residency program that teaches pediatric therapy methods. You'll become familiar with exercises appropriate for the developing skeletal systems of children.

4. Pass the necessary licensing exam appropriate to your state.

5. Learn more at the "American Association of Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy" Web site (see Resources below).

Be Familiar with Pediatric Diseases

6. Expect to work with children that suffer from spina bifida, a common congenital disorder of children that results in an abnormal spinal cord and vertebrae. Treating spina bifida cases in a pediatric setting is very common.

7. Research cerebral palsy, a series of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood. Cerebral palsy may permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination, but its symptoms generally remain stable over time.

8. Use pediatric physical therapy techniques such as flexibility exercises that relax muscle spasms and alleviate pain. You should understand the different uses of braces and other orthotic devices like wheelchairs and rolling walkers.

Treat Conditions Unrelated to Disease with Physical Therapy

9. Work with children that have suffered an injury or undergone surgery to rehabilitate them. Using physical therapy, you may be able to help them strengthen their muscles and joints.

10. Develop a series of exercise programs that concentrate on improving range of motion, flexibility, strengthening and conditioning to prevent further injuries.

Tips & Warnings

• It's a good idea for pediatric physical therapists to instruct parents in proper and safe ways to help a child recover from surgery.
• Expect your education to be moderately expensive. Licensing exams and preparation can also be costly.
• Don't attempt to treat children's emergencies with the use of physical therapy. If your patient is bleeding or vomiting severely, take them to the nearest hospital. Tell them to do the same if they start bleeding or vomiting at home.

Who Can Help Sponsored

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[iowasarah]

on 10/18/2009 This article is very misleading. First of all, physical therapy education in the United States begins with a generalist degree of a Masters or Doctorate (following a bachelor's degree at a college or university). You cannot specialize in pediatrics at the outset, and there are no "pediatric physical therapy medical programs." While there are some residency programs available around the US, most people after graduating from a physical therapy program begin practice and use work experience and chosen practice settings along with continuing education to specialize.