There are some additional / different maintenance guidelines for initial certification in the Sports specialty area, as well as Sports specialists seeking to maintain their certification, specifically regarding direct patient care and venue hours.

The ABPTS Maintenance of Specialist Certification (MOSC) is a model for certification that focuses on continuing competence of the physical therapist specialist. This page covers MOSC Requirement 3: Practice Performance Through Examples of Clinical Care and Reasoning. The purpose of this requirement

Since the inception of physical therapy clinical specialization in 1978, board certification was not life long but was valid for a period of ten years.  In order to be recredentialed as a specialist, the specialist had to demonstrate ongoing practice in the specialty area by meeting a minimum number

In 1989 the APTA House of Delegates approved board certification in the area of geriatric physical therapy. The first Geriatrics Specialist Certification Examination was given in February 1992. As of June 2023, ABPTS has certified 4,112 geriatric specialists.

There are opportunities at varying levels to become involved with the ABPTS certification process. From being an item writer, to participating in a specialty council, all the way to become an ABPTS Board member.

Review specialization application and examination fees and deadlines for initial ABPTS certification.

This page is for individuals who need to verify ABPTS board-certification or are a board-certified specialisting needing formal or written documentation of your certification status, contact.

Jun 9, 2021/Article

Apr 24, 2024/Open Access

Before applying for specialist certification it is important to understand the requirements, the process, and the examination. The Candidate Guide covers all of these things.

Maximize your potential by becoming an ABPTS board-certified clinical specialist in any of nine physical therapy specialty areas offered by APTA’s specialization program for physical therapists.