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Phone Number: (973) 972-2459
Office Location: 65 Bergen Street Stanley S Bergen, Rm 718C Newark, NJ 07101-1709
Sandra L Kaplan PT, DPT, Ph.D. received a Bachelors of Science from the University of Connecticut in physical therapy, a Masters of Science from the Ohio State University in Allied Health, a PhD from New York University in Pathokinesiology, and a tDPT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.
Dr. Kaplan is a Professor and Master Educator Guild member, Vice-Chair of Curriculum and Accreditation, Director of the DPT-Ph.D. program, and Track Coordinator for the Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is a CAPTE on-site evaluator for accreditation of DPT programs. She currently teaches the Advanced Research Study seminars and Outcomes Measurement and Management in the DPT program.
Her scholarship centers on pediatric outcomes, evidence based practice and knowledge translation. She provides training on clinical practice guideline (CPG) development for the APTA, is the CPG coordinator for the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy (APPT), and is on the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy CPG Advisory Panel. She’s the sole author of a textbook on outcome measurement and the 1st author on the APTA APPT 2013 and 2018 Congenital Muscular Torticollis Clinical Practice Guidelines. She has published many other articles based on primary research and in collaboration with community pediatric clinicians, and has presented nationally and internationally.
B.S. in PT , Univ of Connecticut
M.S., The Ohio State University
Ph.D., New York University
DPT, MGH Institute of Health Professions
| Award | Year |
| MASTER EDUCATOR GUILD | 2002-2007, renewed 2007 & 2012 |
| Excellence in Teaching Nominee | 2008, 2011 |
| NJ Health Foundation, SHRP Excellence in Research Award | 2014 |
| APTA Section on Pediatrics, Anniversary Award | 2014 |
| Toby Long Award (best paper in 2018). APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy | 2018 |
| Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA | 2020 |
| Knowledge Translation Lecture – Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Award | 2025 |
| UConn DPT Program’s Joseph Smey Excellence in Physical Therapy Award | 2025 |
Dr. Kaplan’s interests include pediatric rehabilitation, evidence-based practice and knowledge translation, clinical practice guideline (CPG) methodology, and clinical outcome measures. She trains CPG developers for the APTA and helped to develop the DPT Education EBP Curriculum Guidelines; she is particularly interested in the uptake of guidelines into practice.
Current Projects
1. Updating the Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline
2. A scoping review of CPGs related to pediatric practice.
3. Describing the practice of Schroth in NA in collaboration with local practitioners.
4. Describing aspects of Shared Decision Making and use of decision aids to assist with patient outcomes.
5. Critical Appraisal Tool for Experimental Interventions – reliability and use in practice.
6. Patient reported outcome measures congruence with patient goals.
| Title | Sponsor | Effective Dates | Role |
| Clinical Practice Guideline: Core Set of Outcome Measures for Patients with Neurologic Conditions | Moore, Potter & Sullivan | 2014-2016 | Guideline Methodologist, Statistician and Editor |
| Interprofessional course development in a multi-disciplinary health science academic environment at Rutgers University | NSF-SENCER Post Institute Implementation Award | November, 2013 | Co-PI |
| A Study of FUNfitness Data Collected at NJ Summer Special Olympics | Special Olympics Inc. | 2003 | Co-PI |
| Cycling Patterns of Children with and without Cerebral Palsy | NY Chapter APTA | 1990 | PI |
| Title | Authors | Where and When |
| Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapist Practice: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American Physical Therapy Association. | APTA (Lee AC, Russell T, Deutsch JE, Holdsworth L, Kaplan SL, Kosakowski H, Latz R, McNeary L, O’Neil J, Ronzio O, Sanders K, Sigmund-Gaines, Wiley M) | 2024, Phys Ther. pzae045, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzae045 |
| Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: A 2024 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: From the Section On Pediatrics Of The American Physical Therapy Association. | Sargent B, Coulter C, Cannoy J, Kaplan SL | Pediatr Phys Ther. 2024 Oct2024, 1;36(4):370-421. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000001114. Epub 2024 Oct 1. PMID: 39356257. |
| Three-Dimensional Instrumented Gait Analysis for Children with Cerebral Palsy: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. | States RA, Salem Y, Krzak JJ, Godwin EM, McMulkin ML, Kaplan SL | 2024, Ped Phys Ther. 36(2):182-206. |
| Bridging motor learning principles with physiotherapy specific scoliosis exercises: a perspective article. | Muccio M, Atun-Einy O, Kafri M, Kaplan SL. | 2023, Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. 43:6, 741-758 DOI: 10.1080/01942638.2023.2186198 |
| Evidence-Based Practice Curricular Guideline validation identifies gaps in entry-level physical therapist preparation: A convergent parallel mixed methods study. | Chen Y, Selby-Silverstein L, Greenberger HB, Gobert D, Levine D, Kaplan SL. | 2023, JOPTE 37(1): 9-16 DOI: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000256 |
| Physical Therapy Management of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline From the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association | Dannemiller L, Mueller M, Leitner A, Iverson E & Kaplan SL | Ped Phys Ther. 32(4):278-313 , 2020 |
| Associations between congenital muscular torticollis severity and physical therapy episode | Knudsen K, Jacobson R & Kaplan, S | Ped Phys Ther. 32(4):314-320, 2020 |
| Experiences of parents of infants diagnosed with mild and severe grades of congenital muscular torticollis | Oledzka, MM, Sweeney J, Evens-Rogers D, Coulter, C & Kaplan S | Ped Phys Ther. 32(4):322-329, 2020 |
| Pediatric Physical Therapists’ Use of the Congenital Muscular Torticollis Clinical Practice Guidelines; a Qualitative Implementation Study. | Nixon-Cave K, Kaplan S, Dole R, Schreiber J, | 2019, Ped Phys Ther. 31:331-336 |
| Congenital Muscular Torticollis: Bridging the Gap between Research and Clinical Practice. | Sargent B, Kaplan SL, Coulter C, Baker C | 2019, Pediatrics. 144(2):1-8. |
| Are Priorities Of Younger Patients With Knee Pain Addressed By Proms? A Qualitative Study. | Blackburn M & Kaplan SL | 2019, Physical Therapy in Sport. 40:160-168. |
| Frequency Specific Microcurrent for Treatment of Longstanding Congenital Muscular Torticollis: A Case Report. | Thompson R & Kaplan SL | April 2019, Ped Phys Ther 31(2):E8-E15 |
| Thirty Second Walk test Expansion of Normative Data | Lieberstein M, Weingarten G, Vialu C, Itzkowitz A, Doyle M, Kaplan SL | Pediatric Physical Therapy. 30:18–25, 2018 |
| Associations between congenital muscular torticollis severity and physical therapy episode. | Knudsen K, Jacobson R & Kaplan, S. | Ped Phys Ther. 32(4):314-320, 2020 |
| A Framework and Resources for Shared Decision Making: Opportunities for Improved Physical Therapy Outcomes | Moore, C & Kaplan, SL | 2018, Phys Ther. 98(12):1022-1036 |
| Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: | Kaplan SL, Coulter, C, Sargent B | 2018, Ped Phys Ther. 30(4):240-290. |
| A Core Set of Outcome Measures for Adults with Neurologic Conditions Undergoing Rehabilitation: A Clinical Practice Guideline. | Moore, JL, Potter, K, Blankshain, K, Kaplan, SL, O’Dwyer, LC, Sullivan, JE. | JNPT 42 (July):174-220, 2018 |
| Interrater and Intrarater Reliability of the Congenital Muscular Torticollis Severity Classification System – Research Report. | Oledzka, MM, Kaplan, SL, Sweeney, JK, Coulter, C, Evans-Rogers, DL | 2018, Ped Phys Ther 30(3): 176-182 |
| Experiences of parents of infants diagnosed with mild and severe grades of congenital muscular torticollis. | Oledzka, MM, Sweeney J, Evens-Rogers D, Coulter, C & Kaplan S. | Ped Phys Ther. 32(4):322-329, 2020 |
| Congenital Muscular Torticollis | Kaplan SL, Coulter C, Sargent, B | Campbell’s Physical Therapy for Children, 5th Edition. (2017) |
| Uptake of the CMT-CPG into Pediatric Practice | Kaplan SL, Dole R and Schreiber J | Pediatric Physical Therapy. Vol 29 (4) 307–313, 2017 |
| Strategies for Using the APTA Section on Research Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum Guidelines | Kaplan, SL. Tilson, JK, Levine, D, George, SZ, Fay, D, Hack, L, … Wainner, R | Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 30(2), 23–31, 2016 |
| Comparison of Teaching Strategies for Cultural Humility in Physical Therapy | Paparella-Pitzel, S, Eubanks, R, & Kaplan, SL | Journal of Allied Health, 45(2), 139–146, 2016 |
| Aligning Documentation with Congenital Muscular Torticollis Clinical Practice Guidelines: Administrative Case Report | Gutierrez, D., & Kaplan, S. L | Phys Ther, 96(1), 111-120, 2016 |
| Timed Floor to Stand – Natural: Reference Data for School Age Children | Weingarten G, Lieberstein M, Itzkowitz A, Vialu C, Doyle M, Kaplan SL | Pediatric Phys Ther. 28(1):71-76, 2016 |
| Timed Up and Go?: Reference Data for Children Who Are School Age | Itzkowitz, A., Kaplan, SL., Doyle, M., & Weingarten, G | Pediatric Physical Therapy. 28(2), 239-246. doi:10.1097/PEP.0000000000000239, 2016 |
| Physical Therapy Management of Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline From the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. | Dannemiller L, Mueller M, Leitner A, Iverson E & Kaplan SL. | Ped Phys Ther. 32(4):278-313, 2020 |
| Two Seating Systems ’ Effects on an Adolescent with Cerebral Palsy and Severe Scoliosis | Lephart, K., & Kaplan, SL | Pediatric Physical Therapy. 27(3), 258-66. doi:10.1097/PEP.0000000000000163, 2015 |
| Reliability and Validity of “Timed Floor to Stand Test – Natural” in School Aged Children | Weingarten, G & Kaplan, SL | Pediatric Physical Therapy. 27:113–118, 2015 |
| Doctor Of Physical Therapy Education Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum Guidelines | Levine D, Tilson JK, Fay D, George, S, Hack, L, Jewell, D, Kaplan S, Richter R & Wainner, R | APTA Section on Research Report, 2014 |
| Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: From The Section On Pediatrics Of The American Physical Therapy Association | Kaplan, SL, Coulter, C, & Fetters, L | Pediatric Physical Therapy. 25(4), 348-94. doi:10.1097/PEP.0b013e3182a778d2, 2013 |
| Developing Evidence-Based Physical Therapy Clinical Practice Guidelines | Kaplan, SL, Coulter, C, & Fetters, L | Pediatric Physical Therapy, 25(3), 257-270, 2013 |
| Sicily Statement on Classification and Development of Evidence Based Practice Learning Assessment Tools | Tilson JK, Kaplan SL, Harris JL, Hutchinson A, Ilic D, Niederman R, Potomkova J & Zwolsman SE | BMC Medical Education,11:78, 2011 |
| Task analyses identify coat-donning delays in preschoolers in special education | Kaplan SL & O’Connell MD | Pediatric Physical Therapy. 23(1): 62-69, 2011 |
| Outcome Measurement & Management; First Steps for the Practicing Clinician | Kaplan SL | FA Davis. Philadelphia, PA, 2006 |
| Integration of evidence-based practice in-services during student clinical experiences. Compendium for Teaching Professional Level Pediatric Content | Kaplan SL & Fay P | Pediatric Section, APTA, 2006 |
| Special Edition of Neurology Report, “Quality of Life” | Co-Editor with Margaret Schenckman | Vol. 24, 2000 |
| Use of a quality of life measure with a young woman at three to five years post pontine hemorrhage. Case report | Kaplan, SL | Neurology Report. 24(4):152-158, 2000 |
| Comparison of cycling patterns in children with and without Cerebral Palsy | Kaplan, SL | Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. Vol 37,pp. 620-630, 1995 |
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