Severely handicapped children in the public schools. A new frontier for the physical therapist

Recent court decisions are currently generating the need for the development of a more humane, school-based system of educational options for severely and profoundly handicapped children. This natural commitment, which includes provisions for various ancillary services, has major implications for the profession of physical therapy. This paper includes the problems, issues, and trends related to the development of public school physical therapy programs and presents some guidelines and suggestions which might be helpful in the implementation of such programs.