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What is the major difference between studying to be a physical therapist assistant for adults and studying to be a pediatric physical therapist assistant?

I'm not sure what age group of people I want to work with. #PTA #physical-therapist #pediatric-physical-therapy

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Kaitlyn’s Answer

So, I am an Occupational Therapist, so my experience is a little different, however, you typically don't specialize with a population until you graduate and get a job. To be a PTA, you need to go through PTA school, which will teach you what you need to know for a variety of populations. Once you graduate and start working, then you can start to specialize. This is at least from an OT perspective, I'm not sure if PTA is the same way, but most likely.

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Moinul’s Answer

<span style="color: rgb(87, 87, 87);">Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist are the only providers of physical therapy services. In many practice settings, physical therapists rely on the PTA to assure that all patients/clients have access to physical therapy services. Physical therapy has a long history of returning individuals to their maximum level of physical function and in many cases, patients are being sent to physical therapy instead of surgery. Patients/clients value the individualized, "hands on" approach that characterizes physical therapy care. When a physical therapist sees a patient/client for the first time, he or she examines that individual and develops a plan of care that promotes the ability to move, reduces pain, restores function, and prevents disability. The physical therapist may choose to utilize a PTA in the provision of components of the physical therapy treatment. The physical therapist, PTA, and the patient/client then work side-by-side to make sure that the goals of the plan or care are met.</span>

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Whitney’s Answer

In my experience, you’ll learn how to work with both adult and pediatric populations in PTA school, but the bulk of what you learn will be geared more towards adults. Working in either field comes with its own challenges and benefits. Adults are able to follow your instructions and can give more feedback while you’re working with them. Children sometimes need someone working with them who is a creative thinker that can engage them in things that are fun while getting the desired movements, etc out of them. They may not be able to clearly communicate what they are feeling at the moment either where most adults can tell you where something hurts or doesn’t feel right or if they don’t understand you. Working in geriatrics can also be a rewarding field to consider after graduating from PTA school.

Whitney recommends the following next steps:

Ask local hospital, clinics, etc about gaining observations hours to see what your interests might be
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