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To identify physiotherapy students' preferences about their prospective area of practice and the reasons for their choices. Tel-Aviv University physiotherapy students participated in a cross-sectional survey and three open-ended questions that comprise the qualitative component of the study. At the very beginning of their studies, and at the end of the first to fourth years, participants were asked about their area of preference, the factors that shaped their choice, and the reasons for prospective changes in their preference. In total, 289 students filled out the survey. Response rate was 68%. Interest in some areas of practice such as pediatrics remained stable throughout years of physiotherapy studies. In contrast, interest in other areas such as sports declined and interest in others such as rehabilitation increased. The open-ended questions yielded 1,616 codes sorted into five categories that shaped the students' preferences: "I/Me /My" the largest category, followed by "the physiotherapy studies program" and then the relational focused "physiotherapy practice." The number of codes for "working conditions" and "work-life balance" increased steeply with the progression of the studies and the age of the students. The choice for areas of practice of physiotherapy students vary during their professional formation. During their professional development, their preferences are shaped by their personal feelings, interest in and past experience with the specific areas of practice, as well as their practical exposure, experiences in practicums, and theoretical studies. Millennial physiotherapists prefer areas of practice in which personal as well as relational considerations are core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although physical therapy (PT) is effective in improving motor function in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), insufficient data are available on the impact of this intervention in children with combined attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and DCD. This prospective study aimed to establish the prevalence of DCD among a cohort of patients with ADHD, characterize the motor impairment, identify additional comorbidities, and determine the role of PT intervention on these patients. DCD was detected in 55.2% of 96 consecutive children with ADHD (81 males, 15 females), mostly among patients with the inattentive type (64.3% compared with 11% of those with the hyperactive/impulsive type, p less than 0.05). Mean age was 8 years 4 months (SD 2y). Individuals with both ADHD and DCD more often had specific learning disabilities (p = 0.05) and expressive language deficits (p = 0.03) than children with ADHD only. Twenty-eight patients with ADHD and DCD randomly received either intensive group PT (group A, mean age 9y 3mo, SD 2y 3mo) or no intervention (group B, mean age 9y 3mo, SD 2y 2mo). PT significantly improved motor performance (assessed by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children; p = 0.001). In conclusion, DCD is common in children with ADHD, particularly of the inattentive type. Patients with both ADHD and DCD are more likely to exhibit specific learning disabilities and phonological (pronunciation) deficits. Intensive PT intervention has a marked impact on the motor performance of these children. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)