IEP Services
Physical Therapy IEP Goals: Examples and What to Expect
Physical therapy in an IEP focuses on the motor skills your child needs to access their education. If your child qualifies, the school must provide it at no cost to you.
When Physical Therapy Is a Related Service
Under IDEA, physical therapy (PT) is listed as a related service, meaning it is one of the supportive services a school must provide if it is required for a child to benefit from special education. The key word is "required." PT must be educationally necessary, not simply beneficial.
Students who commonly receive PT as an IEP related service include those with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairments, and developmental delays affecting gross motor skills. The PT evaluation determines whether the student's motor limitations affect their ability to access and participate in their educational program.
What a PT Evaluation Looks Like
A physical therapy evaluation for special education typically assesses:
- Gross motor skills (walking, running, jumping, climbing stairs)
- Balance, coordination, and postural control
- Mobility within the school environment (hallways, cafeteria, gymnasium, playground)
- Endurance for classroom and school activities
- Positioning (ability to sit appropriately for instruction)
- Use of adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, or orthotics
- Safety awareness and movement in the school environment
The evaluator observes the student in the school environment, conducts standardized assessments, and reviews relevant medical and educational records. As a parent, your observations about your child's motor function at home and in the community are valuable input.
Examples of PT IEP Goals
PT goals should be measurable and connected to the student's educational environment. Here are examples of what well-written PT goals look like:
- "By June, [Student] will independently navigate stairs with one handrail using an alternating pattern on 4 out of 5 trials, as measured by therapist observation."
- "By June, [Student] will maintain seated upright posture during 20-minute classroom activities on 4 out of 5 observations, as measured by teacher and therapist data."
- "By June, [Student] will independently move between classroom locations within the school building using a walker at a pace that allows arrival within 5 minutes of peers, as measured by therapist observation in 4 out of 5 trials."
- "By June, [Student] will independently don and doff her AFOs within 5 minutes, as measured by teacher and therapist data in 4 out of 5 opportunities."
- "By June, [Student] will participate in 30 minutes of adapted physical education without fatigue-related breaks, as measured by PE teacher observation on 3 consecutive sessions."
School-Based PT vs. Medical PT
This distinction matters and comes up frequently. Schools are responsible for PT that is educationally necessary, meaning PT that allows your child to access and participate in their educational program. Schools are not responsible for all PT your child might benefit from medically.
For example, if your child needs PT to walk in the school environment, access the cafeteria, or participate in PE, that is educationally necessary. If your child needs PT to develop maximum walking endurance for community participation or sports outside school, that may be medical PT your family coordinates privately.
In practice, this line is often debated. If you believe your child's PT needs in the school environment are more extensive than the school is providing, document specifically how the lack of PT affects your child's ability to participate in school activities, and bring that documentation to the IEP meeting.
How to Request PT Services
If you believe your child needs PT that is not currently on their IEP, send a written request to the special education coordinator asking for a physical therapy evaluation. The school must respond in writing and, if they agree to evaluate, you provide consent and the evaluation timeline begins.
If the school evaluates and determines PT is not needed, and you disagree, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) specifically for physical therapy, at the school's expense if you qualify.