This webinar will review the newly updated fact sheet- Collaboration for Student Access and Success: APE & SBPT Under IDEA, endorsed by APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, SHAPE America and the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities. We will discuss how adapted physical education (APE) and school-based physical therapy (SBPT) professionals work together to promote meaningful access, participation, and progress for students with disabilities. Participants will explore the distinct yet complementary roles of APE teachers and school-based physical therapy practitioners within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including areas of shared responsibility, referral and evaluation considerations, service-delivery decision making, and strategies for collaborative planning.

The source fact sheet specifically addresses the respective roles of APE and SBPT under IDEA, their overlap and differences, and the value of collaboration in supporting students with disabilities. The webinar will highlight student-centered, participation-focused teamwork to connect each profession’s expertise with physical education programming. Participants will share practical methods for communicating across disciplines, clarifying roles on the IEP team, aligning goals and supports, and reducing duplication or fragmentation of services.

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the primary roles, responsibilities, and educational purposes of adapted physical education and school-based physical therapy for students with disabilities under IDEA.
2. Differentiate between APE and SBPT services by analyzing their disciplinary expertise, eligibility considerations, assessment focus, and contributions to a student’s educational program.
3. Identify any limits on collaboration or role; delineating which expertise can contribute which data, service, recommendation, etc.
4. List practical strategies for communication, developing collaborative teams, procedures, and programs.
5. Develop one feasible action step for strengthening APE–SBPT collaboration in the participant’s own school district, program, or practice setting.

Are you a student or new professional (SNP) interested in building community and learning more about Early Intervention? If so, we welcome you to join our next Early Intervention SNP Collaborative meeting hosted by EI SIG SNP liaison Natalie Tiffany, PT, DPT, PCS. Dr. Kaitlin Porter, PT, DPT, will be presenting on the FAB (flexible, activity based, burst of supports) model. The FAB model is an early intervention scheduling method designed to support child and caregiver participation during early intervention visits and improve carryover between visits by focusing on real life activities during therapy sessions. FAB scheduling builds upon coaching and natural learning environment practices to improve child outcomes in early intervention. Join to learn more!

The APTA Pediatrics Residency and Fellowship Consortium is an 11-month didactic program designed to advance the pediatric resident’s knowledge and application of examination and treatment of pediatric patients in a variety of areas. The Consortium will offer 32 modules over the 2026-2027 academic year. Twenty seven modules this year include asynchronous content and a virtual synchronous meeting, a resident assignment, and a knowledge translation reflection activity. The remaining five modules will not include a synchronous virtual meeting, but will include all other module components. Materials will be posted and will remain accessible to participants from August 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. 

More specific information about registration and the components of each module is provided below. 

Who Can Participate?: Registrants must be current residents/fellows of a pediatric residency or fellowship program. Residency/fellowship program faculty members who would like to participate fully in the consortium for the purposes of their own learning are also welcome to register. 

Cost of Registration: The fees described below include access to the asynchronous and synchronous content of all modules.
• $250 per person for APTA Pediatrics MEMBERS. 
• $310 per person for NON-MEMBERS of APTA Pediatrics. 

Registration Window: Registration will be open July 2026, and will remain open for the entire academic year.  
Confidentiality Agreement:  All registered participants are required to sign a confidentiality agreement, which protects the intellectual property of the instructors. Participants agree to not distribute course material.  
Asynchronous Content: All modules will include a narrated video presentation and a handout of the slides presented. Participants should view the narrated lecture and review the handout prior to the virtual synchronous meeting. 
Resident Assignment & Resources: All modules will include a case-based written assignment as well as required readings (journal articles). Some modules may also provide additional recommended readings or other resources. Participants should complete the resident assignments and read any required articles prior to the virtual synchronous.

Synchronous Virtual Meeting: MOST modules will include a virtual synchronous Zoom meeting. Virtual meetings are 2-3 hours long and are held on Sunday afternoon/evenings or on a weeknight. The course instructor(s) will discuss important points about the asynchronous content, answer any questions the participants have, and facilitate discussion about the case-based assignment. Breakout rooms may be used for small group discussion, and groups will be invited to share when all participants are brought back together as a large group. Participants are expected to have their cameras on and to be active participants in the discussion. The virtual meetings will be recorded and posted for any registered participant to view. It is important to note however, that individual break out room discussions cannot be recorded. Therefore, residents/faculty who do not attend the live synchronous session will not have the opportunity to participate in or hear discussions that occurred in the breakout rooms, or to ask questions. The consortium committee encourages participants to attend the virtual meetings in real-time to take full advantage of the learning opportunities offered there. 

Knowledge Translation Reflection: All modules will include a knowledge translation (KT) reflection worksheet. Participants should complete the KT reflection after the synchronous session. Residents are encouraged to share it with their program directors or mentors and to develop a plan for further learning and opportunities for application to clinical practice.

Module Evaluations: Each participant will be asked to complete a course evaluation for each module. The feedback provided will help the consortium committee better understand the needs of the participants and will guide changes in the content for subsequent years. 
Attendance: The consortium committee and the course instructors will not be taking attendance during the virtual meetings. Additionally, resident assignments will not be collected or graded by the consortium consortium committee. It is up to individual program directors to monitor their residents’ participation in each aspect of the modules. 

Exam Questions: Instructors for each module have developed exam questions pertinent to the content they have provided. The exam questions will be sent to residency/fellowship program directors who have residents/fellows registered in the consortium. Directors may choose whether or not to utilize the questions in their written examinations.

Questions about the Consortium may be directed to Elena Bradley at [email protected].

Please join us for a journal club meeting to review the article, Health Promotion and Physical Wellness in Pediatric Physical Therapy, on September 24, 2026 at 7:30PM ET. One CEU will be awarded for participation.

Article: Health Promotion and Physical Wellness in Pediatric Physical Therapy from Pediatric Physical Therapy 2025;37:72-79.

Course Authors: Jay Grissom, PT, DPT; Jen Brilmyer, PT, DPT, DHSc; Monica Krogmann, PT, DPT; Cornelia Lundell, PT, DPT; Martha Bloyer, PT, DPT; Kelli Reyes, PT, DPT; Tanya Liu, PT, DPT, PhD

Article Title: Where’s the evidence? Challenging therapists to stop legitimizing Dynamic Movement Intervention and Cuevas Medek Exercises

Article Authors: Paleg, Ginny PT, MPT, DScPT; Pool, Dayna PT, PhD; Hidalgo-Robles, Álvaro PT, MSc; Frumberg, David MD; Livingstone, Roslyn OT, MSc(RS); Damiano, Diane PT, PhD.

Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate between experimental and evidence-based pediatric treatment practices.
2. Consider professional ethical implications when utilizing novel interventions.
3. Identify the motor control theory that underlies Cuevas Medek Exercises (CME) and Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI).
4. Evaluate the authors’ supported viewpoint on neuroplasticity and motor learning.

Course Authors: Jay Grissom, PT, DPT; Jen Brilmyer, PT, DPT, DHSc; Monica Krogmann, PT, DPT; Cornelia Lundell, PT, DPT; Martha Bloyer, PT, DPT; Kelli Reyes, PT, DPT; Tanya Liu, PT, DPT, PhD

Article Title: Where’s the evidence? Challenging therapists to stop legitimizing Dynamic Movement Intervention and Cuevas Medek Exercises

Article Authors: Paleg, Ginny PT, MPT, DScPT; Pool, Dayna PT, PhD; Hidalgo-Robles, Álvaro PT, MSc; Frumberg, David MD; Livingstone, Roslyn OT, MSc(RS); Damiano, Diane PT, PhD.

Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate between experimental and evidence-based pediatric treatment practices.
2. Consider professional ethical implications when utilizing novel interventions.
3. Identify the motor control theory that underlies Cuevas Medek Exercises (CME) and Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI).
4. Evaluate the authors’ supported viewpoint on neuroplasticity and motor learning.

Participated Committee Members: Cornelia Lieb-Lundell, PT, DPT; Jay Grissom, PT, DPT; Kelli Reyes, PT, DPT; Tanya Liu, PT, DPT, PhD

Article: Physical Therapists’ Perceptions of Implementing and Sustaining Pediatric Intensive Therapy Programs: A Survey Study

Authors: Jamie B. Hall, PT, DPT, PhD; James B. Hedgecock, PT, DPT; Meaghan Rubsam, PT, DPT; Dana Chole, PT, DPT; Kelly Greve, PT, DPT, PhD

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Categorize intensive therapy program challenges according to reported themes.
2. Identify intensive program training options for physical therapists
3. Distinguish factors of intensive physical therapy programs as barriers or facilitators to implementation and sustainability
4. Describe the study design and evidence base of pediatric intensive therapy

Participated Committee Members: Cornelia Lieb-Lundell, PT, DPT; Jay Grissom, PT, DPT; Martha Bloyer, PT, DPT; Monica Krogmann, PT, DPT, MA; Tanya Liu, PT, DPT, PhD

Article: Bridging the Gap: A Novel Approach to Pediatric Rehabilitation Training in Low Resource Settings

Authors: Shala Cunningham, PT, DPT, PhD; Martina Lukin, PO; Hsu Wai Mon Oo, PT; Rachael Lowe, PT; Abdulgafoor M. Bachani, PhD, MHS

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe a specific approach to providing continuing professional development (CPD) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
2. Explain the results of a CPD program on physical therapists’ perceived knowledge, skills, and ability to implement early physical therapy.
3. Identify potential barriers to providing pediatric therapy services in LMICs.
4. Summarize the participants’ self-perception of learning and engagement in the CPD.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the application of the Kirkpatrick Model in assessing the effectiveness of the training.

Participated Committee Members: Cornelia Lieb-Lundell PT, DPT, Certif Pediatric Specialist Emeritus, Jay Grissom, PT, DPT, Jen Brilmyer, PT, DPT, DHSc, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, Martha Bloyer PT, DPT, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, Tanya Liu, PT, DPT, PhD

Article: Predictors of Length of Physical Therapy Care for Infants With Congenital Torticollis

Authors: Heather R. Aker, PT, DHSc; Samuel R. Pierce, PT, PhD; Elizabeth S. Moore, PhD; Kathy Martin, PT, DHSc

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Conclude how the results could be used in the clinical decision-making process in pediatric physical therapy treatment of children with torticollis.
2. Consider potential limitations to the type of research conducted in the article
3. Describe the patient population included in this study.
4. Explain factors found to be correlated or predicted with length of care (LOC) in the study.
5. Use new evidence to predict expected therapy durations and key predictors of LOC.

Participated Committee Members: Jay Grissom, PT, DPT, Jen Brilmyer, PT, DPT, DHSc, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, Tanya Liu, PT, DPT, PhD, Kelli Reyes, PT, DPT, Martha Henao Bloyer, PT, DPT

Article: Implementing Clinical Practice Guidelines for Improving Function in Cerebral Palsy: Development of a Fidelity Tool

Authors: Michelle Jackman, PhD; Megan Thorley, BSc(OT); Rachel Toovey, BSc(PT), PhD; Andrea Burgess, BSc(OT), PhD; Remy Blatch-Williams, BSc(Psych); Leanne Sakzewski, BSc(OT), PhD; Roslyn N. Boyd, BSc(PT), PhD; Iona Novak, BSc(OT), PhD

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Explain the methodology used to pilot a clinical practice guideline fidelity tool
2. Understand the purpose of the fidelity tool used to support clinical practice guidelines for enhancing function in children with cerebral palsy.
3. Identify key challenges and recommendations for implementing the fidelity tool in clinical settings, including factors influencing clinician acceptance and family involvement.
4. Analyze the preferred uses of the fidelity tool among clinicians
5. Evaluate the role of clinician experience and workplace setting in the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the fidelity tool for interventions for children with cerebral palsy.