Physical therapy and adapted PE
School physical therapy goals are tied to moving safely and independently around the building: walking the halls with peers, using stairs, getting on and off the bus, and taking part in PE and recess.
These guides cover PT goals for balance, gait, stairs, transfers and mobility equipment, and adapted PE goals for ball skills, motor patterns and fitness. They show how to measure motor skills with rubrics and timed trials, how to write goals around school routines rather than clinic tasks, and which accommodations let a student join the same activities as classmates.
Start here
- Physical therapy IEP goals: examples for school-based PT
School physical therapy IEP goal examples for gross motor, mobility, equipment and fitness, with skill-component rubric baselines and a medical vs school table.
How-to guides
- Classroom seating and positioning for students with physical disabilities
How to set up adaptive seating in the classroom: observe, fit the chair and desk, trial low-tech supports, collect data and write the plan into the IEP.
- How to measure fitness goals in adapted PE
How to assess and measure fitness goals in adapted PE: pick a repeatable test, set a protocol, take a baseline, probe and graph it, with a worked example.
- How to measure gross motor goals (skill-component rubrics)
How to collect gross motor data with skill-component rubrics: break a skill into parts, set trial rules, take a baseline, probe on a schedule and graph it.
Examples
- Accommodations for wheelchair users at school
12 wheelchair accommodations for school written as IEP text: routes, elevators, desks, restrooms, drills, field trips and testing, each with a grading check.
- IEP goals for adapted PE by sport
12 adapted PE IEP goals organized by sport: basketball, soccer and kickball, track and swimming, and bowling, boccia and racket games, with measures for each.
- IEP goals for balance
24 balance IEP goals for static, dynamic, seated and functional balance, with baselines, a decision table, measurement tips and balance activities for kids.
- IEP goals for ball skills (throwing, catching, kicking)
24 ball skills IEP goals for throwing, catching, kicking, striking and dribbling, with rubric baselines, a decision table and adapted PE activities that fit.
- IEP goals for braces and prosthetics
16 prosthesis and brace IEP goals for putting on orthoses, following a wearing schedule, skin checks, leg and arm prostheses and reporting problems at school.
- IEP goals for jumping and hopping
12 jumping and hopping IEP goals for two-foot jumps, jumping down, hopping and jump rope, with baselines in inches or counts and a rubric for jump form.
- IEP goals for riding a tricycle or bike
24 tricycle and bike IEP goals for mounting, pedaling, steering, stopping, adaptive trikes and two-wheel bikes, with baselines and a decision table.
- IEP goals for Special Olympics athletes
20 IEP goals for students who compete in Special Olympics or play unified sports, measured in school PE and practice, with a decision table and measures.
- IEP goals for stairs
16 stair climbing IEP goals for step pattern, rail use, carrying, bus steps and drills, each with a baseline, a criterion and how to measure it at school.
- IEP goals for transfers
20 transfer IEP goals for sit to stand, wheelchair to chair, toilet, bus and floor transfers, written around the PT's plan with steps, help levels and safety.
- IEP goals for walker and crutch use at school
12 walker and crutch IEP goals for gait pattern, school routes, doors, carrying, canes and gait trainers, with baselines, a decision table and measures.
- IEP goals for wheelchair mobility
12 wheelchair IEP goals for manual propulsion, doors and ramps, power chair driving and chair care, plus how to measure mobility goals with time and steps.
- Locomotor skills IEP goals: running, skipping and galloping
20 locomotor skills IEP goals for running, galloping, sliding, skipping, leaping and dodging, with component rubrics, a decision table and measurement tips.
- PE accommodations and rule modifications
12 PE accommodations and rule modifications written as IEP text, each checked as accommodation or modification with its effect on PE grading and testing.
- Playground skills IEP goals
12 playground IEP goals for climbing, slides, swings, recess games and getting around the playground safely, with baselines, a decision table and measures.
- Present levels examples for PT
24 annotated school PT present levels examples for stairs, balance, mobility, transfers, equipment and PE, with weak and strong versions tied to real data.
Explainers
- Adapted PE: who qualifies and what goes in the IEP
Who qualifies for adapted PE, what IDEA's physical education rule requires, how states and districts set criteria, and what the IEP should say about PE.
- PT service minutes and consult models at school
How school PT minutes are written: direct, integrated, consult and burst models, what PT consult time covers, and how minutes change as a student gains skills.
- School-based physical therapy: what it covers and who qualifies
School-based physical therapy helps students move safely and take part at school. Learn who qualifies, what it covers, the educational model and state rules.
IEP Atlas Pro
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