No two days are the same for Jennifer Farmer, a physical therapist with Harris County Department of Education (HCDE), but each is truly valued by the students she serves in Spring Branch Independent School District.

In observance of National Physical Therapy Month, celebrated every October, HCDE recognizes and appreciates the many physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in its School-Based Therapy Division. These professionals are vital in supporting students with disabilities and assisting their classroom mobility and function.

School-Based Therapy currently serves nearly 1,800 students for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It includes 30 physical therapists and five physical therapy assistants on staff.

Among them are Farmer, who shapes her motivation in helping students overcome challenges and making their school experience like others.

Who or what drew you into the field of physical therapy?

Gosh, you’re going way back in time. So, I always wanted to do something in the medical field and always thought either medical school, PT (physical therapy) school or PA (physician assistant) school.

In college, you have to get volunteer hours, so I went and saw lots of physical therapy and in talking to those therapists, I knew that was what I wanted to do. And I grew up with an aunt that was disabled and who had had therapy as a child.

What is it about physical therapy, especially within the education setting where students may be as young as three years old?

It’s funny – I always have to explain to people who think, ‘You’re doing therapy in school? I can get it there?’ It’s more about access.

It’s making sure they can physically get in the building, around the building and everywhere they have to go. It’s making sure they have the right equipment, like in their classroom.

If they’re in a wheelchair, can it fit at their desk? If they’re walking and need something to walk with, can they get onto the playground?

A lot of times, people don’t realize all these kids can do. But yes, he or she can stand up. He or she can walk.

What about working with the campus staff and teachers in the classrooms?

That’s the most eye-opening thing because these teachers are doing so much. They’re helping as nurses, therapists, counselors – they have to also know how to safely move the kid if the kid can’t move himself or herself. We help them learn how to put students in different pieces of equipment.

So why not the clinical route?

I’d heard about therapy in education for years and spent time talking with more therapists that worked in schools. They kept telling my how much they liked it. So, when some opportunities came up to interview,  I tried it.

And I like it. My mom was a teacher and I thought about being a teacher before medical and PT, and so this is really cool because you’re in that setting, you’re in that education teacher world, but you’re doing the therapy that’s helping the teacher.

Often, I think about, oh, my day – what did I get to do today? I went to PE. I went to recess because for physical therapy that’s where I catch a lot of kids for movement. Can they get on the playground? Are they just sitting on the bench or did they try to go use the slide?

It’s fun because you get to really help them participate in their full school day.

How can you plan when no two days are the same?

You work with the staff to learn what everyone’s daily schedules are. So, if a teacher says the best time for this student to stand is when we’re doing calendar, then I try to get there early in the morning when that is going on. And if another student has recess or PE at a certain time of the day, I’m catching them at that time.

I’m going between campuses and different schedules, so lots of communication with teachers.

It can vary. If there are multiple kids at one campus, you may stay there for most of the day. Or if you just have one, you may be going to three or five different places in a day.

What’s your why and motivates you up every day?

Basically, helping the kids be able to do something that might not be easy for them, but to make it easier and to also show the staff, ‘Hey, this kiddo can do this.’

For example, there’s one little girl who transferred into the district and she comes in a wheelchair but can walk. So just to get her to be able to do more things. That’s why I do what I do.