How to Read the PT Section of an IEP

The physical therapy section of an IEP can be hard for caregivers to interpret because PT-related information may be spread across several parts of the document.

PT-related information may appear in present levels, service delivery, accommodations, goals, supplementary aids and services, transportation, transition planning, and team notes. If a caregiver only looks for the word “PT,” they may miss how the student’s physical access needs are actually being described.

A useful review starts with three questions: What need is being described? What support is being provided? How will the team know whether it is working?

Caregivers do not need to master special education law to ask better questions. They can start by asking the team to explain the connection between the need, the support, and the student’s actual school day.