Policy | Appropriate Use of Designations

APTA seeks to limit the use of abbreviated designations after a physical therapist's or physical therapist assistant's name to decrease consumer confusion.

Order of Acceptable Designations by Category

APTA supports five categories of abbreviated designations, listed in the order below. Within the table are acceptable designations within each category. For categories three and four, these are examples only, not complete listings of eligible designations. There are too many eligible state-regulated occupations (category three) and academic degrees (category four) to include all of them in the table.

Note that only the first designation of either PT or PTA is mandatory. All others are optional, but if you choose to include them they must be according to the requirements of the APTA position. (If someone lacks a designation in any category or chooses not to include it as an abbreviation after their name, the next designation, if any, moves up a space. The order remains the same.)

FIRST designation: PT or PTA	PT, PTA
SECOND designation: Highest-earned physical therapy-related degree	DPT, MPT, MSPT, BSPT
THIRD designation: Designation(s) issued by government entities for regulated occupations other than physical therapy	APN, APNR, APRN, ATC, CNS, CPA, CRNP, CS, EMT, LAc, LAC, LCMT, LCSW, LDM, LM, LMSW, LMT, LPC, LCPC, LVT, MD, MT, NP, OT, OTR/L, RN, SLP (and others as identified)
FOURTH designation: Other earned academic degree(s) from an accredited college or university degree program	AuD, BA, BS, CScD, DC, DDS, DEd, DHS, DMD, DMT, DNP, DO, DPM, DSc, DScPT, DVM, EdD, JD, LLM, MA, MBA, MEd, MHS, MLS, MOTR, MPA, MPH, MPP, MS, MSHA, ND, NMD, PharmD, PhD, PsyD, SLPD, SLPM (and others as identified)
Optional FIFTH designation: FAPTA	FAPTA, only for Catherine Worthingham Fellows of APTA

Guidance for Practical Use

APTA is complying with the requirements of the House of Delegates position in its association-generated materials wherever possible and offers guidance below for components and individual members to comply.

ABPTS Clinical Certifications

In recognition of the accomplishment of specialty certification by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and the need to increase public awareness of its value, APTA spells out these certifications whenever there is room to accommodate them (see samples).

Per the restrictions of the House policy, APTA no longer recognizes or uses these former ABPTS abbreviations. Initials are included here to help you identify the corresponding certifications if they appear outside of APTA materials. Note that board certification in oncologic and wound management physical therapy are not listed below, as they were recognized as specialties after the APTA position was adopted and abbreviations were never established.

Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: CCS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Clinical Electrophysiologic Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: ECS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: GCS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: NCS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: OCS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: PCS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: SCS)
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Women's Health Physical Therapy
(former abbreviation: WCS)

*These also can be worded as "Board-Certified [Cardiovascular and Pulmonary] Clinical Specialist"

Non-APTA Certifications and Honors

APTA spells out non-APTA certifications and honors in its materials and publications only when they are contextually relevant and space is available. The House position does not provide for abbreviating non-APTA certifications and honors after someone's name. (Members can spell out such certifications within their My APTA profile by opening My Profile in the top right corner of the APTA website homepage, clicking Name and Designations under My Account, and spelling out the certification in the Non-APTA Certifications field at the bottom. To add multiple non-APTA designations, separate with commas or start each designation on a new line within the field block.)

Examples

Brief Listing

When space is too limited to spell out any designations, such as some badges and certificates:

Compliant with House policy	Noncompliant with House policy
Seth Coney, PT, DPT	Seth Coney, PT, DPT, OCS
Seth Coney, PT, DPT, DSc	Seth Coney, PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, FAAOMPT
Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, FAPTA	Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, CHT, FAPTA
Denna Dilullo, PT, ATC/L, MS	Denna Dilullo, PT, ATC/L, MS, SCS, CSCS
Tamica Dallas, PT, DPT	Tamica Dallas, DPT

Longer Listing

When space is available, such as business cards, letter and email signatures, rosters, and slide decks:

Compliant with House policy	Noncompliant with House policy
Seth Coney, PT, DPT Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy	Seth Coney, PT, DPT, OCS
Seth Coney, PT, DPT Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists	Seth Coney, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, FAPTA Certified Hand Therapist OR Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT Certified Hand Therapist Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association	Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, CHT, FAPTA
Denna Dilullo, PT, ATC/L, MS Board-Certified Sports Clinical Specialist Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist	Denna Dilullo, PT, ATC/L, MS, SCS, CSCS
Tamica Dallas, PT, DPT	Tamica Dallas, DPT

Textual Use

Within a narrative, such as an article or press release: For ABPTS certifications, always spell out; for non-ABPTS certifications, spell out when the certification is contextually relevant to the text:

Compliant with House policy	Noncompliant with House policy
Seth Coney, PT, DPT, a board-certified specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy, is an APTA member.	Seth Coney, PT, DPT, OCS, is an APTA member.
Seth Coney, PT, DPT, DSc, focuses on patients with musculoskeletal conditions. He is a board-certified specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy.	Seth Coney, PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, focuses on patients with musculoskeletal conditions. OR Seth Coney, PT, DPT, DSc, focuses on patients with musculoskeletal conditions. [Spelled-out ABPTS specialty is missing.]
As an engaged member of APTA's PTeam, Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, attended APTA's Federal Advocacy Forum. A certified hand therapist, Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, treats many patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.	As an engaged member of APTA's PTeam, Danyelle Newkirk, PT, DPT, CHT, attended APTA's Federal Advocacy Forum.
Denna Dilillo, PT, ATC/L, MS, attended APTA's Federal Advocacy Forum. She is a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy.	Denna Dilillo, PT, ATC/L, MS, SCS, attended APTA’s Federal Advocacy Forum. OR Denna Dilillo, PT, ATC/L, MS, attended APTA's Federal Advocacy Forum. [Spelled-out ABPTS specialty is missing.]
Tamica Dallas, PT, DPT, serves as clinic director.	Tamica Dallas, DPT, serves as clinic director.

Implementation of Principle II of HOD P06-19-51-57

To update your online profile in compliance with the House of Delegates position, login to apta.org, select My Profile at the top right, and click Name and Designations under My Account.

Questions

Those with questions about how to comply with HOD P06-19-51-57 should contact an APTA member services representative.

Feedback

The 2016 revision to HOD P06-19-51-57, moved as RC 4-16, was developed and adopted by APTA's House of Delegates, comprising hundreds of APTA members from across the country. If you have concerns about the requirements of the House position, contact your state's chief delegate. Any amendments to HOD P06-19-51-57 must come from the House of Delegates.