physical therapy

Our user asked: "I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN. MY SON IS A PARAPLEGIC ANDIS28 YEARS OLD. HE IS AMAZING THE THINGS THAT HE IS ABLE TO DO. HE WANTS A CAREER IN SOME TYPE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY SO THAT HE CAN HELP OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS HE IS. THERE ARE COUNTLESS THINGS THAT HE COULD TEACH THEM THAT HE WAS NEVER TAUGHT AND LEARNED HIMSELF. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO HIM AND AS FAR AS A CAREER IN THIS AREA. THANK YOU"

Ask a PT Response: "That is great your son is interested in a career which involves helping others! If he really is interested  in a career in physical therapy, I would suggest you contact schools which he may be interested in attending and see if they are able to meet his adaptive needs and to learn more about what the educational requirements are for application. A career as a physical therapist requires up to 7 years of education while a career as a physical therapist assistant requires about 2 years of education. Another path he could take would be to become an independent consultant so he could educate patients and organizations on the knowledge he possesses. I hope this helps."