School-Based Occupational Therapy (OT)

What is OT at School?

• Focused on function, participation and engagement
• Supports engagement in fine motor and visual motor skills needed for activities:
  • Using classroom tools like writing and cutting utensils
  • Clothing management
  • Daily life skills
• Also works with academic staff to provide sensory supports/accommodations

Sample OT Accommodations

• Adaptive paper (paper with highlighted bottom half, grid paper, paper with raised bottom half for placing letters)
• Alternative seating and learning tools (wobble stool, cube chair, wiggle cushion at circle time, sound canceling headphones, fidget tools)
• Graphic organizers and breaking down assignments using visual aid

How is school-based OT different from Clinic OT?

• Intended to help students access their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) as part of the students IEP (Individualized Education Plan)
• OTs observe and analyze demands on student access, impacting their access to their education
• Focus is to support student function and participation, not mastery of milestones
• Includes direct work with students, and indirect work on behalf of the student
• Clinic scope is on multiple settings, not just school setting, and can include specialty therapies
• All school based OT services must be educationally relevant and have a significant adverse impact on the students participation