Análisis de la situación de la fisioterapia en los centros educativos en España

Abstract

Background and objectiveStudents with special educational needs may need the specific and specialized support of Physiotherapy in order to facilitate the development of their maximum potential and help in their educational inclusion. The information about school-based Physical Therapy development in Spain is very scarce. The objective of this study is to describe the situation of physiotherapy in educational centers and compare it among the different autonomous communities. Materials and methodsA descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out through the elaboration of an online survey, designed together with a panel of experts using the Delphi method. Six thematic blocks were included related to the provision of the physiotherapy service, working conditions and the coverage of the students’ needs. Results178 responses were obtained. Their geographical distribution was homogeneous, although large differences were detected among the autonomous communities. Most of the participants work in special education centers and there are autonomous communities in which physical therapists do not work in ordinary centers. Only 28.4% answered that the physiotherapist is integrated into the educational orientation teams of their autonomous community and has the function of determining the need for the resource. ConclusionsSchool-based Physiotherapy services to support students with special educational needs is unequal among the autonomous communities, and in some of them it is considered insufficient.