Physiotherapy transition

When will I leave the children’s therapy team?

This is a joint decision between you and your therapist. Usually the best time to transition to adult services is when you leave school.

Why can I not stay with the children’s therapy team until I am 18?

You can choose to stay with us however, we can only offer a limited service. Adult services are best placed to manage issues in the community or college as they have more experience of this and better links with appropriate services you might need to access.

What happens if I choose to stay with the children’s therapy team when I leave school?

You will be offered only a yearly review appointment until your 18^th birthday. At that point your therapy care will be transferred over to adult services.

Who will I be referred on to?

This depends on what your needs are. We have good links with all 3 teams who work with adults in the community:

• if you have significant learning disabilities you will be referred to the community learning disabilities team
• if you have a neuromuscular condition then you will be seen by the team who work in the neuromuscular clinic at the Hallamshire Hospital
• if you have fewer or no learning difficulties then you will access the neuro enablement team

Do they have physiotherapy and occupational therapy?

Yes, the teams have both kinds of therapists as well as other professionals. You will be seen by the person who is best able to help you with your specific problem.

Where will they see me?

This will depend on which team you see. Most teams will work with you in the most appropriate setting such as home or college, but they might also see you in a clinic setting.

How do adult services work?

They work in a very similar way to how physiotherapy and occupational therapy have worked during your last couple of years in school. They will not routinely see you and it will be your responsibility (or your carer’s) to ask for help. When you have a problem you can either contact them directly or ask your GP to refer you (depending on the team).

How will I know who to contact?

Before you leave school we will work with you and your family to create a transition passport or a communication passport. This will have lots of useful information about you and your needs. It will also have information about which team you will contact if you need physiotherapy or occupational therapy. If it is appropriate, we will arrange a meeting with one of the therapists from your team so that they know you and your family

“We will work with you and support you and your family through this process so that you all feel confident about how to access adult services when the time comes to move on.”