The Physical Therapist Assistant is a skilled technician who has completed an educational program approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The Assistant's function is to help the professional Physical Therapist in patient related activities. Assistants perform treatment procedures in accordance with the planned programs, assist the physical therapist in carrying out more complex procedures, and observe and report patient behavior to their supervisor. The Physical Therapist Assistant must have a talent for working effectively with ill and disabled people, as well as with professional health personnel. One must be physically and mentally fit and be able to lift, climb, stoop, stand and kneel. Good hearing and visual acuity are also required.

To become a Physical Therapist Assistant, one completes a 2-year college level course leading to an associate degree. The program must be held in an accredited college, approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

• 2 year Associates Degree

Growth will occur as new medical technologies save more people, who then need therapy; as new technologies permit more disabling conditions to be treated; and as the population grows and ages. The rapidly growing elderly population is particularly vulnerable to chronic and debilitating conditions that will require more therapeutic services. At the same time, the baby-boom generation will enter the prime age for heart attack and strokes, increasing the demand for cardiac and physical rehabilitation. More young people will also need physical therapy as medical advances save the lives of a larger proportion of newborns with severe birth defects. Future medical developments will also permit a higher percentage of trauma victims to survive, creating additional demand for rehabilitative care. Growth will also result from advances in medical technology which permit treatment or more disabling conditions. In the past, for example, the development of hip and knee replacements for those with arthritis gave rise to employment for physical therapist personnel to improve flexibility and strengthening weak muscles. The widespread interest in health promotion should also increase demand for physical therapist services. A growing number of employers are using physical therapists to evaluate worksites, develop exercise programs, and teach safe work habits to employees in the hope of reducing injuries. Job prospects in physical therapy are expected to be excellent. There have been shortages of physical therapists in recent years. However, this situation may ease eventually as the number of physical therapy education programs increases and more students graduate.

Physical therapists treat and rehabilitate persons with physical or mental disabilities. Others who work in the rehabilitation field include occupational therapists, corrective therapists, recreational therapists, manual arts therapists, speech pathologists and audiologists, orthotists, prosthetists, respiratory therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and athletic trainers.

$33,870

• Colby Community College
• Kansas City Kansas Community College
• Kaskaskia College
• Linn State Technical College
• Missouri Western State College
• Ozarks Technical Community College
• Penn Valley Community College
• Southeast Missouri State University
• St. Louis Community College @ Meramec
• Washburn University
• Wichita State University College Of Health Professions

• Aft Healthcare
• American Association Of Spinal Cord Injuries Nurses
• American Orthoptic Council
• American Physical Therapy Association
• Foundation For Physical Therapy
• National Rehabilitation Association
• National Rehabilitation Counseling Association