Cotreatment as a Vehicle for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Physical Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists Collaborating in the Care of Children With Severe Disabilities

Purpose

This article defines interprofessional collaborative practice and links its key features with accepted practice conceptualizations of physical therapy. Cotreatment with speech-language pathology is described as a vehicle for interprofessional collaborative practice for children with severe disabilities.

Method

The article reviews the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (WHO, 2015) and the Hypothesis-Oriented Algorithm for Clinicians II (Rothstein, Echternach, & Riddle, 2003) as existing service-delivery frameworks in physical therapy and discusses how interprofessional collaborative practice between speech-language pathologists and physical therapists can be useful within these practice guidelines.

Results

A case illustration featuring interprofessional collaborative practice during cotreatment for a child with severe disabilities through physical therapy and speech-language pathology showed more seamless care and better progress in the pursuit of three main goals: physical movement, communication of needs, and participation in classroom activities.

Conclusions

Interprofessional collaborative practice is supported as a recommended practice methodology for physical therapists and speech-language pathologists serving persons with severe disabilities.

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