This manual helps physical and occupational therapists instruct nontherapists in positioning and handling students with physical disabilities. A chapter on movement and motor disability covers types of abnormality in muscle tone. A chapter on handling explains appropriate handling techniques and why they are necessary to the student's well-being. Another chapter addresses the principles of posture, movement, and proper body mechanics when transferring, lifting, and positioning students. The importance of therapeutic positioning to promote the maintenance of normalized muscle tone, skeletal alignment, and stabilization of body parts is discussed. Fifteen positions for laying, sitting, and standing are illustrated, with accompanying information about their advantages and disadvantages and tips for their use. A final chapter describes the therapist's role in providing inservice training to education staff. Each chapter contains a section for physical and occupational therapists and a section for nontherapists who carry out recommendations made by therapists. Some chapters include a list of book and videotape references. Appendices contain a glossary, a list of 12 references, and a list of two resources for nontherapists. A videotape titled "Teaching Nontherapists to Protect Their Backs When Moving Students with Physical Disabilities" is available as a companion to the manual. (JDD)