What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) in the school setting is very different than in the clinical setting. OT at school is a "related service" meaning that it is not seperate from the curriculum, but supports the student 's participation in the curriculum and school day routine. The focus is on identifying the student's abilities and not on treating deficits. Therapy occurs in the "Least Restrictive Environment" where the student needs the help, not "down the hall" seperate from where curricular work is done.
Specifically, OT is concerned with a student's ability to perform in 3 areas (1) Self-care (2) Play/leisure (3) Work productivity as they occur in the school environments. Examples include, but are not limited to, (self-care) donning a coat and zipping it up, accessing the cafeteria line, feeding oneself a meal(play/leisure) participating in classroom games, playground, and gym activities, and (work productivity) legibly writing name, using the computer, manipulating classroom materials, and completing an art project. OT can help a student who has difficulty performing in any of these areas by analyzing and breaking down tasks, developing a new way of doing the task, adapting or modifying the task or environment, and/or practicing elements of the skill with the student.
Therapy should be provided with a fluid combination of direct, monitor, and consultative service. Best practice for occupational therapy identifies integrated therapy as the preferred form of intervention. Integrated therapy occurs in the natural environments such as the cafeteria, playground, gym, classroom, and/or art class. Integrated therapy eliminates the need for students to connect an activity learned one on one "down the hall" to the classroom task they need help with (see Definition of Integrated Therapy).
American Occupational Therapy Association Web Site
(scroll down to fact sheets, OT in Educational Settings)
http://www.aota.org/featured/area6/index.asp
University of North Carolina, The Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning
http://www.cdl.unc.edu/occupationaltherapy/
Handbook for Occupational & Physical Therapy Services in the Public Schools of Virginia (Michigan does not have one… yet!)
www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/sped/OTPTHandbook.pdf
