The updated Second Edition of The PTA Handbook is a unique textbook that serves students from pre-admission into a physical therapist assistant program, through the academic program, up to career entry and practice as a physical therapist assistant. Dr. Kathleen A. Curtis and Peggy DeCelle Newman have updated this Second Edition to reflect current practice standards, including updated core professional documents addressing direction and supervision to align with developments in the physical therapy profession. The PTA Handbook, Second Edition expands on the popular first edition and includes an overview of the physical therapy profession, the physical therapist (PT) – physical therapist assistant (PTA) preferred relationship, evidenced-based practice and information literacy, diversity and cultural proficiency, and planning for life-long learning and leadership development. What is new in the Second Edition: • Includes key documents that guide the provision of physical therapy services and describe the relationship between delivery of care by the PT and PTA • Career development strategies for the PTA, including criteria for Recognition of Advanced Proficiency for the Physical Therapist Assistant and leadership roles in professional, clinical, and community contexts • Case studies and “Putting It Into Practice” exercises are user-friendly, realistic approaches to enhance student learning and comprehension through immediate and meaningful application of the topic being discussed • Written as a strategy-based guide to success for PTA students in meeting the required demands and expectations during a PTA program as well as in practice in the field The PTA Handbook, Second Edition also covers information that will assist advisors and counselors in college and work re-entry programs to provide guidance regarding the physical therapy profession and specifically the differing roles of the PTA and PT. This text will also serve as a key guide for groups of 21st century learners frequently seeking PTA education, including first-generation college students, adult learners, career re-entry, second-language learners, and learners with disabilities. The PTA Handbook: Keys to Success in School and Career for the Physical Therapist Assistant, Second Edition is an essential reference for students, educators, advisors and counselors, and therapy managers who want to maximize the potential for success of the PTA.

Older adults, like all individuals, have different personalities and temperaments. According to Dr. Davenport, toxicity in older adults manifests itself in negative behaviors and attitudes that can adversely impact interactions with health professionals, caregivers, and family members. Davenport presents theories and case examples to help us understand this phenomenon and provides useful techniques for caring for toxic elders. A valuable practical guide for social workers, therapists, caregivers, and students.

This handbook begins with a foundational overview of rural education, examining the ways in which definitions, histories, policies, and demographic changes influence rural schools. This foundational approach includes how corporatization, population changes, poverty, and the role of data affect everyday learning in rural schools. In following sections, the contributors consider how school closures, charter schools, and district governance influence decision making in rural schooling, while also examining the influence of these structures on higher education attainment, rural school partnerships, and school leadership. They explore curriculum studies in rural education, including place-based and trauma-informed pedagogies, rural literacies, rural stereotype threat, and achievement. Finally, they engage with issues of identity and equity in rural schools by providing an overview of the literature related to diverse populations in rural places, including Indigenous, Black, and Latinx communities, and exceptional learners. Importantly, this handbook applies theoretical tools to rural classroom experiences, demonstrating the potential of work centered at the intersection of theory, rurality, and classroom practice. Each section concludes with a response by an international scholar, situating the topics covered within the broader global context.

Published annually since 1985, the Handbook series provides a compendium of thorough and integrative literature reviews on a diverse array of topics of interest to the higher education scholarly and policy communities. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of research findings on a selected topic, critiques the research literature in terms of its conceptual and methodological rigor and sets forth an agenda for future research intended to advance knowledge on the chosen topic. The Handbook focuses on a comprehensive set of central areas of study in higher education that encompasses the salient dimensions of scholarly and policy inquiries undertaken in the international higher education community. Each annual volume contains chapters on current important issues pertaining to college students and faculty, organization and administration, curriculum and instruction, policy, diversity issues, economics and finance, history and philosophy, community colleges, advances in research methodology and other key aspects of higher education administration. The series is fortunate to have attracted annual contributions from distinguished scholars throughout the world.