Enhancing Pediatric Education for Physical Therapy Students Through the Development of Community Partnerships to Facilitate Experiential Learning: A Case Report

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Doctoral physical therapy (DPT) programs are expected to provide students with educational experiences in classroom and in clinical settings and with all age demographics, including pediatrics. There is significant discrepancy in the delivery and assessment of pediatric content in DPT programs. One effective and evidence-based strategy to address this discrepancy and deliver pediatric content is experiential learning (EL). Our case report illustrates how EL with a symbiotic community partner can enable DPT programs to effectively address the current limitations in direct contact hours and clinical experiences in pediatrics. Case Description. We formed a structured and formal partnership with a local community fitness and gymnastics facility to provide our students with pediatric EL opportunities outside of the classroom and traditional clinic settings. Each student is required to engage in structured and focused play-based interactions with typically and atypically developing children 1 hour per week for two 8-week EL periods under direct supervision of a certified pediatric clinical specialist. Outcomes. Students demonstrated appropriate professional behaviors, increased self-efficacy, achievement of the pediatric course learning objectives, and attainment of 3 Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy essential core competencies. With our community partner, 87% of the children demonstrated improvement in their gross motor skills. Discussion and Conclusion. Our case report details an innovative approach to use EL to increase the number of direct contact hours with the pediatric population through a symbiotic community partnerships that positions our students to reach entry-level competency with the pediatric population upon graduation.

Scope and Practices of Physical Therapists Working With Children: Results From an International Online Survey

“…As many therapists are likely to intervene occasionally with children, even if they do not specialize in pediatrics, ensuring minimum core competencies and experiences in pediatric PT for all PTs appears crucial, as suggested by others. 11,12 Likewise, PTs need to be able to access continuing education and ongoing support in pediatric PT. 13 Our results also show that the majority of therapists work within multidisciplinary teams, which might provide some form of support.…”

Student Self-Efficacy in Pediatrics: Evaluation and Modification of the Pediatric Communication and Handling Self-Efficacy Scale

“…All DPT students are required to complete a total of 16 hours (8 hours in semester 5 of 8; 8 hours in semester 7 of 8) of structured and focused pediatric ELOs at a local gymnastics facility that partners with the DPT program. For the pediatric ELOs, each DPT student assists a child who has an individualized education program 1 hour per week for 8 weeks as part of an adapted fitness class 14. The DPT program partnership with the gymnastics facility allows students to interact one-on-one with a child of elementary or middle school age in an active environment.…”

“…The DPT program partnership with the gymnastics facility allows students to interact one-on-one with a child of elementary or middle school age in an active environment. DPT students provide physical assistance, handling, verbal interactions, emotional support, and encouragement during their interactions in the pediatric ELOs 14…”

“…DPT students provide physical assistance, handling, verbal interactions, emotional support, and encouragement during their interactions in the pediatric ELOs. 14…”

The How and the Why of Including Children: Experiential Learning in Teaching Physical Therapist Students

“…Experiential learning supports students' achievement of the essential competencies of pediatric DPT education 4,7. In a recent survey of 106 pediatric DPT educators from Commission on the Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)–accredited programs, all of the participants “agreed that experiential learning with children has a positive impact on DPT students' learning.”8 Experiential learning with children has been found to significantly increase DPT students' perceptions of their communication skills, their skill with family-centered practice, their ability to build rapport and maintain child engagement, their pediatric psychomotor skills, and their confidence and comfort with pediatric examinations and use of standardized tests 7,9–11. In a scoping review of pediatric DPT educational practices, Anderson et al12 found that “Following experiential learning, students demonstrated improved application and manipulation of knowledge, improved clinical reasoning skills, as well as improved child/family interactions and management of the therapeutic environment.” (p110)…”