$ Running Head: WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY

Writing in the Physical Therapy Pr !essi n Tayl r Chasey N rtheastern "ni#ersity

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical therapy is a di#erse pr !essi n% ne that enc &passes &any aspects ! healing and pti&i'ing a patient(s physical health) S ciety is !ten c n!used *hen it c &es t the s+ill set ! the pr !essi n% as large stere types still e,ist ar und the * r+ that PTs d ) -any pe ple .elie#e that physical therapists &assage pe ple .ac+ t health% r cause patients an e,cruciating a& unt ! pain thr ugh the reha.ilitati n pr cess) H *e#er% neither ! these are true) The

A&erican Physical Therapy Ass ciati n% the APTA% is the pr !essi nal rgani'ati n that g #erns the pr !essi n) The APTA de!ines physical therapy C re /alues% the pr !essi n(s C de ! Ethics% and the /isi n State&ent) 0Trans! r&ing s ciety .y pti&i'ing & #e&ent t i&pr #e the hu&an e,perience1 2APTA% 34$56 is the de!initi n ! physical therapy that PTs are educated t uph ld and the APTA is trying t &a+e s ciety understand) In an e!! rt ! r the pr !essi n t .e ta+en & re seri usly% the APTA de!ined c re #alues ! pr !essi nalis&) These #alues include: acc unta.ility% altruis&% c &passi n% e,cellence% integrity% pr !essi nal duty% and s cial resp nsi.ility 2APTA% 34$76) An e,a&ple ! h * the APTA is putting e!! rt int helping the pu.lic understand the . undaries ! the physical therapy pr !essi n can .e seen in the d cu&ent% 0Pr #iding Physical Therapy in Sch ls "nder I8EA

34471 2APTA% 34496) As part ! physical therapists( pr !essi nal duty and s cial resp nsi.ility t ser#e all patient p pulati ns and 0i&pr #e the hu&an e,perience%1 2APTA% 34$56 the APTA &ade it clear h * this sh uld * r+ ! r students in sch d cu&ent) Physical therapy(s C re /alues% C de ! Ethics% and /isi n State&ent als ser#e the purp se ! de!ining the physical therapy disc urse c &&unity) Within this speci!ic disc urse c &&unity% there are &ultiple genres ! c &&unicati n that ccur a& ngst pr !essi nals and .et*een therapists and their patients) As a patient: riented pr !essi n% d cu&entati n is ne ! ls in this c ncise and in! r&ati#e

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY the & st i&p rtant genres ! *riting c &&unicati n that ccurs in physical therapy) With ut

pr per d cu&entati n% .illing cann t ccur% pr gress and set.ac+s cann t .e seen #er ti&e% and the therapist *ill ha#e n *ay ! trac+ing the patient(s hist ry) Writing als ccurs in an

instructi nal genre% speci!ically ! r patients t .e a.le t c ntinue their care at h &e) ; r e,a&ple% physical therapists *rite e,ercise prescripti ns ! r patients t c &plete utside ! structured therapy) Therapists are als e,pected t c ntinue t learn a!ter sch l t uph ld the

acc unta.ility and e,cellence c re #alues thr ugh e#idence .ased practice) C ntinuing educati n is !ten d ne thr ugh reading research r attending c n!erences *here ne* in! r&ati n is presented in an instructi nal ! r&) Audiences ! these genres ! *riting in physical therapy include the clinicians% patients% and !a&ilies ! patients) As a student% I a& e&erging int a clinician(s lens *hen it c &es t reading and *riting in the physical therapy pr !essi n) H *e#er% until recently% I ha#e seen the genres ! physical therapy thr ugh a patient lens% ha#ing .een a patient &ysel! and n t ha#ing en ugh +n *ledge t understand the genres ! the pr !essi n *ith an educated #ie*) C &pleting &y 8 ct rate ! physical therapy sch ling at N rtheastern *ill help t .uild a

+n *ledge .ase and create an a.ility t see the pr !essi n thr ugh the lens ! a therapist% and n t a patient r .ser#er) Physical therapy is practiced in a #ariety ! settings) A !e* include: acute care h spitals% reha.ilitati n h spitals% nursing h &es% utpatient clinics% sch ls% and e#en patients( h &es)

Regardless ! the setting% physical therapy is centered n listening t patients% getting t +n * the& in depth #er the c urse ! care% and * r+ing t gether acr ss disciplines t help patients thr ugh ut each stage ! rec #ery) Pr gress is *hat &a+es PT as a pr !essi n s appealing) A therapist(s care &a+es pe ple .etter% &uch as the #isi n state&ent descri.es) Thr ugh ut PT

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY sch l% I ha#e al*ays aspired t * r+ in the pediatric d &ain ! physical therapy% and *as

! rtunate t ha#e e,perienced t* pediatric c perati#e educati n e,periences) The !irst *as in a speciali'ed sch l setting ! r children *ith &ultiple disa.ilities% and the sec nd is in a

reha.ilitati n h spital ! r children *ith a *ide range ! diagn ses) Thr ugh these e,periences% I ha#e *itnessed the APTA(s C re /alues .e upheld .y physical therapists * r+ing in the !ield% and seen the p ssi.ility ! changes that can .e &ade t i&pr #e patients( li#es ! r the .etter) The APTA * r+s t in! r& the pu.lic ! h * e,actly the pr !essi n is a.le t d s % and uses d cu&ents such as the arti!act stated a. #e t help *ith this c &&unicati n t patients utside ! the physical therapy disc urse c &&unity) 0Pr #iding Physical Therapy in Sch ls "nder I8EA 34471 2APTA% 34496 *as *ritten

.y the Practice C &&ittee ! the Secti n n Pediatrics ! the APTA% and *as n ted t ha#e a special c ntri.uti n !r & <athy 8a#id% PT% -S% PCS) There is a *ell de!ined . , at the end ! the d cu&ent t in! r& the reader ! the auth rs% and gi#e a pers n t c ntact sh uld the reader *ant t in=uire & re in! r&ati n) The auth rs created a clear% easy t understand d cu&ent ! r any reader *h is ne* t the su.>ect ! physical therapy in sch ls) ;irst% the auth rs esta.lish

auth rity and legiti&acy ! the APTA *ith the . ld headers and pr !essi nal graphics ! the d cu&ent) A large l g ! the pediatric secti n al ng the le!t side ! the entire !irst page sets the

t ne ! r the reader ! the c ntent t .e e,pected in the . dy ! the d cu&ent) The APTA de!ines this d cu&ent as a !act sheet% t ser#e the purp se ! in! r&ing parents a. ut the res urces that are a#aila.le t their children% under the Indi#iduals *ith 8isa.ilities Educati n Act) The d cu&ent(s structure is laid ut t in! r& the curi us parent r clinician a. ut the .asics ! a student recei#ing physical therapy *hile in sch l) Patient

educati n is the &ain intent ! the d cu&ent% and the t ne is appr priate t address an audience

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY ! #ari us educati n le#els in regards t the su.>ect &atter) The APTA is als c nsci us ! &a+ing the language in the !act sheet appr priate t address the educated physical therapist and parents *h are ne* t the ter&in l gy ! the disc urse c &&unity in physical therapy) Internet ad#ertise&ents d n t #er*hel& the reader% as the lin+ g es directly t a pu.lished pd! !ile) Ad#ertise&ent !ree reading can .e rare n the Internet% and is an ther step that is ta+en .y the rgani'ati n t in! r& the reader% and * r+ t *ard the c re #alue ! s cial

resp nsi.ility% speci!ically% educating the pu.lic) A list ! re!erences is included at the end ! the d cu&ent *ith a state&ent t in! r& 0PTs * r+ing in sch ls?.e a*are ! &any legislati#e

and regulat ry pr #isi ns related t I8EA) APTA(s Secti n n Pediatrics rec &&ends the ! ll *ing res urces ! r !urther in! r&ati n)1 2APTA% 34496) This secti n ! the arti!act is directed t *ard a clinician *h is c nsulting the !act sheet% and places an e&phasis n h * general the audience is that is .eing reached .y this s urce) H *e#er% a parent c uld als c nsult these clinician s urces i! they !ind the& & re help!ul% and are curi us t l + ! r & re in! r&ati n n their *n) Part @ ! I8EA is a thirteen page d cu&ent *ritten in the ;ederal Register% and * uld .e #er*hel&ing ! r & st parents t dissect) This !act sheet has a large ! nt% and is a three page su&&ary ! an entire ;ederal G #ern&ent Act) The auth rs did an e,e&plary > . in &a+ing the c ntent c ncise and t the p int) The APTA is e!!ecti#e in c &&unicating the i&p rtant parts ! Part @ thr ugh the use ! si&ple% .ulleted lists and diagra&s) The . lded secti ns ! this d cu&ent include: Physical Therapy and I8EA% I8EA I&ple&entati n% Physical Therapy: A Related Ser#ice% H * Can Y ur Child Recei#e Physical Therapy% ;unding ! r Physical Therapy% Licensure and Practice% and the IEP Tea& 2APTA% 34496) Within these secti ns% an easily understanda.le su&&ary ! h * physical therapy !its int a sch l setting is displayed ! r the

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY reader) 8e!ining +ey ter&s% such as Part @ ! I8EA and Indi#iduali'ed Educati n Plan% r IEP%

creates a +n *ledge .ase in the .eginning ! the !act sheet ! r the reader t .etter understand the rest ! the c ntent) ; r&atting the d cu&ent int c lu&ns als sets an educati nal t ne ! r the reader% ne si&ilar t *hat is seen *hen reading a te,t. +) With di!!erent c l red headers and

si&ple large te,t% the d cu&ent is clearly de!ined int each secti n) An in! r&ati#e t ne is &ade clear .ecause the d cu&ent is a c &pilati n ! !acts stated .y the rgani'ati n% *hich en! rces the APTA(s d &inant% in! r&ati#e t ne) The state&ent that .egins the arti!act% 0The Indi#iduals With 8isa.ilities Educati n Act 2I8EA6 is a !ederal la*% *ith state educati n agency #ersight% that supp rts the pr #isi n ! pu.lic educati n ! r all childrenBregardless ! the nature r se#erity ! their disa.ility)1 2APTA% 34496 sets the t ne !r & the !irst sentence) In additi n% t help *ith the instructi nal nature ! the !act sheet% t* !igures are placed% illustrating t parents the pr cess ! &a+ing an IEP) The !igures are e,tre&ely si&pli!ied% c #ering the .are &ini&u& ! in! r&ati n ! r the reader t understand the .asics ! *hat a child is entitled t under !ederal la*s) As a reader% the graphics als help t .rea+ up the te,t ! the article and &a+e it less daunting t read) The si&plicity ! the c ntent% t ne% lay ut% and #erall &essage is #ery parent !riendly% and c uld .e used as a res urce ! r physical therapists t gi#e t parents as a re!erence) The APTA displays its patient:centered attitude and #isi n ! the physical therapy pr !essi n .y &a+ing si&ple t understand% yet still in! r&ati#e% !act sheets such as these a#aila.le t patient(s !a&ilies) I .elie#e that this !act sheet e,e&pli!ies the c re #alues ! pr !essi nal duty and s cial resp nsi.ility% .y in! r&ing the pu.lic ! ser#ices that they are entitled t as citi'ens ! the "nited States) Pr #iding res urces and speci!ic pe ple t c ntact ! r

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY parents *h are interested in & re in! r&ati n als e,e&pli!ies the c res #alues !

acc unta.ility and c &passi n) Patient educati n is a large genre ! *riting and c &&unicati n in the physical therapy pr !essi n% and this !act sheet is an e,a&ple ! h * patient educati n can .e i&p rtant ! r !a&ilies t ad# cate ! r ser#ices that their children are entitled t as students in pu.lic sch ls)

WRITING IN PHYSICAL THERAPY Re!erences A&erican Physical Therapy Ass ciati n) 234496) Providing physical therapy in schools under IDEA 2004) Retrie#ed !r & http:EE***)pediatricapta) rgEc nsu&erpatient in! r&ati nEpd!sE A&erican Physical Therapy Ass ciati n) 234$56) Vision statement for the physical therapy profession. Retrie#ed !r & http:EE***)apta) rgE/isi nE A&erican Physical Therapy Ass ciati n% F Physical Therapist Centrali'ed Applicati n Ser#ice) 234$76) Professionalism and core values) Retrie#ed !r & http:EE***)ptcas) rgE pr !essi nalis&E

When c nsidering this * r+ ! r &y pr !essi nal p rt! li % I .elie#e% at this ti&e% that it c uld .e a str ng candidate) I *as a.le t relate the c re #alues ! the pr !essi n t the reas ning .ehind *hy &y arti!act *as structured as it appeared) I !eel that I &ade a str ng c nnecti n .et*een ur #erarching duty as physical therapists and *hat the arti!act represents)