9781422279915

A Real-Life Experience A physical therapist recounted one of his most rewarding experi- ences with a group of patients: “For nearly two decades, I was able to work part time with physically disabled kids in the local school districts. We always tried to have a big end-of-the-year activity where we tested the kids’ progress in a fun and creative way. One year we had our own Special Olympics with the kids. Some were only able to drop a Frisbee while others were able to throw it quite a dis- tance. We used the wedges and tubes we would normally use in therapy to create an obstacle course for the kids to move through. Even though some couldn’t do as much physically as others, it gave the kids and their nondisabled peers an opportu- nity to interact in a fun environment. We even made medals for all the kids. “Those years were sometimes tough, mainly because when you work on an athlete, you see tremendous progress in a very short period of time. When you work with physically disabled kids, though, it is often much harder to see progress. But when you do see it—and you do see it—you treasure those strides the kids make. Many of those kids are grown up now and I still see them occasionally around town. We always laugh together for a minute, and usually give each other a big hug. Those are the patients that have stayed in my heart.”

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

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