Occupational Therapy in the School Setting: Supporting Student Success
Occupational therapy is a field where compassion, science, and creativity meet. Occupational therapists can be found in many settings such as clinics, hospitals, or homes and work with a variety of populations from birth to end of life care.
No matter the setting and population, the goal of an occupational therapist is to make a difference in the lives of individuals through client-centered, meaningful, and purposeful interventions to help them achieve higher levels of independence and occupational performance.
What does this look like in the educational setting, specifically for preschool and elementary aged students? Let us start with thinking about the occupations a student may need to complete or the roles they may be expected to fulfill throughout the day. The possibilities are endless and these are just a few:
Stay in line with classmates without bumping into others when transitioning in the
hallway.
Stay seated in a chair at a desk to complete morning work.
Listen to and follow the teacher’s instructions.
Participate meaningfully in circle time.
Navigate playground equipment safely.
Regulate energy levels to match task demands.
Complete toileting, washing hands, and dressing independently.
Transport cafeteria tray from the line to table without spilling.
Cope appropriately with frustration and disappointment.
Copy a written prompt from the whiteboard.
Tolerate messy hands when completing an art project.
Recognize how much force to put on a crayon while coloring without it breaking.
Interact with peers and adults throughout the day.
Wow! Did you ever think about how demanding the school day could be? This is where a school-based occupational therapist can step in to provide much needed support.
Occupational therapists use evidence based evaluation techniques and intervention strategies to champion student participation in the areas of academics, social skills, emotional and behavioral regulation, self-help, sensory processing, recess, and extracurricular activities. A skillful occupational therapist will use a strengths based approach and understand what is intrinsically motivating to each student. Through clinical judgment, analysis of activities, and considering the environment, skills can be remediated, context or activities can be adapted or modified, and school-wide programming can be created such as for handwriting or regulation. Occupational therapists not only provide one on one intervention, but work collaboratively as a team with other educators, administrators, medical professionals, and caregivers to best meet student needs and promote student success.
School-based occupational therapists can help students successfully and joyfully participate in all areas of their school day by focusing on what is important to the student and their team.
If your child needs additional support to address underlying skills needed for full participation in their daily occupations, roles, and routines as a student, we would love to partner with your family!
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2016). Occupational therapy’s role with school settings. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/-/media/corporate/files/aboutot/professionals/whatisot/cy/fact-sheets/school%20settings%20fact%20sheet.pdf
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2). 7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
Bazyk, B., & Cahill, S. (2015). School-based occupational therapy. In J. Case-Smith & J.Clifford O’Brien (Eds.), Occupational therapy for children and adolescents, seventh edition, (pp. 664-703). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.