New to School-Based Physical Therapy?
Build the practical knowledge, skills, and confidence you need to begin working in schools.
School-based physical therapy is a distinct area of practice. It is not simply pediatric physical therapy delivered inside a school building. The school setting requires a different lens – one of access, participation, and educational relevance. School-based PT has a distinct purpose that impacts the assessments we perform, the decisions we make, and the interventions that we deliver.
As such, Apply EBP offers new school-based PT CEU opportunities specifically designed for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who are new or are switching practice from outpatient, hospital, home, or other clinical settings. Additionally, Apply EBP provides free articles, resources, infographics, and videos you can use for your own learning or share with your team to support collaboration and build common language and understanding.
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Start Here: Read Free Articles and Resources
Inspired by commonly asked questions at our live workshops, Ask Apply EBP is a free resource for new and experienced school-based OT, PT and Speech practitioners. Here are our First 4 recommended articles for new school-based PTs and PTAs.
School-Based PT Training for New PTs and PTAs
Starting a school-based position can feel overwhelming. You may understand pediatric physical therapy, but educational practice comes with different expectations, systems, terminology, and decision-making responsibilities.
School-based PTs and PTAs must connect services to a student’s access, participation, and progress in the educational environment. That means understanding more than diagnosis or impairment. It also means learning how to make educationally relevant decisions, contribute to the IEP process, collaborate with teachers and families, and select services that support meaningful school participation.
Apply EBP courses help turn those responsibilities into practical steps you can use in your everyday work.
Build the Foundation: School-based PT Essentials
School-based PT Essentials: On-Demand Symposium for New Practitioners
School-Based PT Essentials:
On-Demand Symposium for New Practitioners
This foundational school-based physical therapy course is designed for PTs and PTAs preparing for their first school-based position or building confidence with the essentials of educational practice. Learn directly from leading experts in school-based and pediatric physical therapy as they explain the knowledge, systems, and practical skills needed to work effectively in schools.
Topics address key areas of school-based practice, including:
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- The role of physical therapy in educational settings
- Differences between medical and school-based practice
- Laws and regulations
- Evaluations and eligibility considerations
- The IEP process and collaborative decision-making
- Evidence-informed assessment and interventions
- Documentation, goal setting, and progress monitoring
- Collaboration with teachers, families, other team members
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Best for: New graduates, early-career, and clinicians transitioning into school setting.
Next Step: Grow Your Knowledge and Skills
School-based PT Next Steps: On-Demand Symposium for Growing Practitioners
School-Based PT Next Steps:
On-Demand Symposium for Growing Practitioners
Now you have the essential foundations, expand your knowledge with practical training in assessment, targeted intervention approaches, and common childhood health conditions encountered in schools. This symposium is designed for PTs and PTAs who are ready to broaden their skills and grow more confident in practice.
Topics expands your skills in various school-based practice areas, including:
- Assessing school participation
- Collaborative goal writing
- MTSS and various service delivery models from direct to indirect
- Motor learning for school practitioners
- Coaching
- Positioning strategies
- Fit4Work Screen for older students
- Childhood health conditions: CP, DCD, down syndrome, ADHD, autism
Best for: PTs and PTAs who understand the school-based basics and are ready for the next stage of professional growth.
Explore Our 3 Formats for School-based PT Courses
Earn PT and PTA CE Hours Live or at Your Own Pace
Apply EBP continuing education courses are approved in multiple states. Note that unlike AOTA or ASHA, the APTA does not approve courses. Course approval for PTs and PTAs differs from state to state. See below for each state’s CEU approvals for PTs and PTAs.
More Featured School-based PT and PTA Courses
Live Workshops for School-based PTs and PTAs
Live Workshops for PTs and PTAs
Creating Goals that Are Easy to Monitor
- October 30, 2026, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Eastern Time
- Online via Zoom
Positioning Strategies to Promote Participation and Prevent Asymmetry
- November 18, 2026, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Eastern Time
- Online via Zoom
- OTs, OTAs, PTs, PTAs & Educators
- $199-249
Supporting Success of Students with ADHD
- December 8, 2026, 8:30 am–3:30 pm Eastern Time
- Online via Zoom
On-demand Webinars for School-based PTs and PTAs
On-demand Webinars for PTs and PTAs
5 Steps for a Functional Strength Training Program
Using Calm Moments Cards
3 Steps to Safe Transportation for Students with Wheeled Mobility
FAQs about Our New School-based PT CEU Opportunities
Explore answers to most frequently asked questions.
I have pediatric PT experience. Do I still need to take your new school-based PT courses?
In many cases, yes. Pediatric physical therapy experience gives you an important foundation, but school-based physical therapy is guided by a different framework. In the school setting, PT services need to support a student’s access, participation, safety, mobility, and progress within the educational environment. School-based PT training can help you shift from a medical-based or clinic-based approach to an educational model of practice. Consider completing the School-Based PT Essentials On-Demand Symposium, and/or the School-Based PT Next Steps: On-Demand Symposium.
Should I select an on-demand webinar, live workshop, or symposium?
It depends on your learning style, schedule, and current needs. On-demand courses are a good fit when you want flexibility and the ability to learn at your own pace. Live workshops are helpful when you want a scheduled learning experience and the opportunity to interact with the speaker and other practitioners in real time.
Our annual live online School-based OT, PT, and SLP Symposium offers a lively, multi-session learning experience across school-based practice topics. It is usually held in early spring, typically in March or April. Subscribe here or join Apply EBP’s Facebook Group to be among the first to hear about the next live symposium.
Are your new school-based PT CEU opportunities approved for continuing education credits?
Yes, our courses are approved for PTs and PTAs in multiple states. Note that unlike AOTA and ASHA, APTA does not approved courses for continuing education. As such, PT continuing education approval varies by state. Please review the individual course page for PT approval information, number of CE hours, and completion requirements. You can also click here to see which of our courses are approved for your particular state. If you are unsure whether a course meets your state requirements, please email carlo@applyebp.com before registering.
Are your Ask Apply EBP resources free to use and share?
Yes! Our Ask Apply EBP articles, infographics, videos, and resources are free to use for your own learning and to share with colleagues, families, educators, administrators, and other school team members. All we ask is that you mention Apply EBP as the source.
These resources are created to help school-based PT practitioners better understand evidence-based practices, educational relevance, IEP decision-making, assessment, intervention, service delivery, documentation, and other important topics in school-based physical therapy. They may also be useful when you want to support team discussion, address a common misconception, or promote more consistent carryover across school routines.
How would I know when new Ask Apply EBP articles and resources are published?
The best way to hear about new Ask Apply EBP articles, infographics, videos, and free resources is to subscribe to our email list by clicking here and to follow Apply EBP on social media:
We regularly share new resources, course updates, and practical tips for school-based OT, PT, and SLP practitioners.
You can also browse our Ask Apply EBP resource page to explore previously published articles and resources that you can use for your own learning or share with your team.