Description
Assess, plan, and deliver physical therapy for infants, children, and adolescents to improve motor development, mobility, strength, and participation; relieve pain; and address disabilities from congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, orthopedic, or injury-related conditions in partnership with families and care teams.
- • Plan, prepare, and carry out individualized pediatric PT programs to improve gross motor skills, mobility, strength, endurance, and participation, and to alleviate pain or prevent dysfunction.
- • Perform and document a pediatric initial evaluation, including history and standardized measures, to establish a diagnosis and plan of care.
- • Monitor outcomes over time and adjust interventions to align with growth, development, and goals.
- • Provide therapeutic exercise, play-based activities, manual therapy, and positioning/handling to improve motor control, alignment, and comfort.
- • Instruct caregivers and children in home programs, positioning, handling, and safe mobility.
- • Collaborate with parents, pediatricians, therapists, and school teams to plan, implement, and review interventions, including IEP/IFSP services.
- • Review referrals and medical and educational records to determine needs and appropriate pediatric PT services.
- • Document goals, prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in the child's record or EMR.
- • Obtain guardian informed consent and child assent when appropriate for proposed interventions.
- • Discharge or transition the child when goals are met or services change, and arrange follow-up or referrals.
- • Test and measure gross motor function, balance, gait, strength, range of motion, tone, posture, endurance, and cardiopulmonary status, and record data.
- • Establish functional, family-centered goals, expected progress, and plans for reassessment.
- • Provide age-appropriate information about interventions, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the child and caregivers.
- • Direct, supervise, and communicate with PTAs, aides, and students in pediatric settings.
- • Apply physical agents and technologies appropriate for children (e.g., NMES, heat/cold, ultrasound) following pediatric safety guidelines.
- • Teach and mentor PT students or interprofessional learners in pediatric practice.
- • Evaluate, fit, and train in pediatric orthoses, mobility aids, wheelchairs, gait trainers, and adaptive equipment, and coordinate modifications with orthotists/ATPs.
- • Educate on injury prevention, safe play and sports, school ergonomics, and health promotion for children and families.
- • Refer children and families to early intervention, community programs, or support services.
- • Participate in or apply pediatric research and quality improvement to practice.
- • Engage in community outreach, screening, or advocacy related to pediatric rehabilitation and accessibility.
- • Assemble, maintain, or adjust simple supportive or adaptive devices, or coordinate repairs.
- • Lead group therapy, developmental motor groups, sports injury prevention classes, or caregiver training.
- • Recognize findings outside PT scope (e.g., medical red flags or suspected abuse), inform caregivers as appropriate, and refer or report per regulations.
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
