Making training-based decisions about positioning transfers — only performing procedures you have been directly cleared for, and documenting when coverage gaps exist.
At a glance
When: A PT-approved transfer is scheduled and you're alone with the student.
Remember: Trained doesn't always mean legally permitted to act alone — some districts require a PT or PTA on-site. Know your district's policy.
What strong practice looks like — and why.
The scenario you saw
A student you support has a PT-approved positioning schedule requiring a transfer from wheelchair to prone stander twice daily. The PT isn't available today and you're alone with the student. What do you do?
Before you read on — what would you do here? Picture your move, then reveal how strong practice handles it.
You only perform transfers you've been directly trained and cleared on for this specific student by this student's PT. If you've received that training, you follow the protocol exactly. If you haven't, you wait and document why. Important: being trained does not always mean legally permitted to act independently — some districts and states require a PT or PTA on-site for all transfers regardless of training. Know your district's policy. Either way, you report to the teacher immediately: this is a coverage gap the PT needs to know about.
Why this works
A PT-approved transfer is a clinical procedure, so 'I've watched it many times' isn't the bar — the bar is whether this student's physical therapist has directly trained and cleared you on it. If they have, you follow the protocol exactly; if they haven't, you wait and document why, even though skipping the positioning carries its own cost. Either way you tell the teacher right away, because a missing PT is a coverage gap the team needs to close, not something you quietly absorb by improvising.
What to look for
Recall is where it sticks — a few quick scenarios.
Reading is useful, but recall is where it sticks. Three short scenarios, low-stakes, no scoring — about 3 minutes. You can stop any time.
Start the practice set →Short on time? Start with the first one.
Scope & safety
Perform only transfers you've been directly trained and cleared on for this specific student by their PT — and being trained doesn't always mean legally permitted to act alone; some districts/states require a PT or PTA on-site for transfers regardless. Know your district's policy.
IRIS Center (Vanderbilt)
Covers assistive technology, positioning devices, and the para's role in supporting physical therapist-designed programs with fidelity.