Delivered within the child's educational setting 

Grades K - 12

Occupational Therapy  COSER 308

Who do Occupational Therapists work with?

¨       Students to improve their performance in a variety of learning environments (e.g., playgrounds, classrooms, lunchrooms, bathrooms)

¨       Parents to help them support their children's learning and participation in school

¨       Educators and other School Support Staff to plan and develop activities and environments that include all students

¨       Teacher Aides to support child success and promote safety within the school environment (e.g., physical and behavioral assistance needs)

¨       Administrators to provide training for students, staff, and parents, as well as to recommend equipment for schools and ways to modify existing buildings and curriculum to allow access for all.

What are the functional skills that Occupational Therapists address?

¨       Fine motor skills, hand dexterity, strength and coordination for handwriting, and handling school supplies and materials.

¨       Motor planning skills for balance, positioning and moving about the school and playground.

¨       Functioning vision skills for reading, copying, and navigating the environment.

¨       Environmental control with adaptive devices and equipment to allow independent functioning.

¨       Organizational skills for class preparation, note taking, or homework assignments.

¨       Daily activities such as dressing, eating, and cafeteria skills.

¨       Pre-vocational skills of timeliness, appropriate dress, the use of public transportation, phone and computers.

¨       Sensory skills for self-regulation

¨       Community living skills such as street crossing, asking for directions, and shopping.

Where is therapy provided within the school setting?

The Occupational Therapist provides services within the classroom, lunchroom, and playground environments or a separate room such as the gross or fine motor therapy rooms.

Who provides Occupational Therapy services?

Registered and licensed Occupational Therapists (OTR/L) or certified Occupational Therapy assistants (COTA), under the supervision of an OTR.

Who makes referrals for Occupational Therapy services?

Parents, teachers, therapists, physicians, or other health care providers may make referrals for an occupational therapy evaluation.

Occupational therapists perform evaluations upon the recommendation of a school district's Committee on Special Education (CSE).

A physician's prescription is required in order to provide occupational therapy services.

What is Occupational Therapy in the educational setting?

In the schools, occupational therapists use their unique expertise to help children to be prepared for and perform important learning and school-related activities and to fulfill their role as students. Occupational therapists support academic and non-academic outcomes including social skills,
math, reading, writing, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, prevocational/vocational participation and more. They are particularly skilled in facilitating access to curricular activities for all students through supports, design planning, and other methods such as:

¨       Observing a student engaging in an activity and provide strategies to facilitate the student's full participation;

¨       Reducing school barriers that limit student participation within the school environment;

¨       Utilizing assistive technology to support student success;

¨       Helping identify long-term goals for post-school outcomes; and

¨       Helping plan relevant instructional activities for ongoing implementation in the classroom.

Hard of Hearing (COSER 309) 
or Visually Impaired (COSER 316)

The Student who is
Hard of Hearing

Who is the student who is hard of hearing?

¨       A student with a hearing impairment; permanent or fluctuating

¨       whose educational performance is adversely affected

¨       but who retains the ability to process linguistic information, either with or without amplification

Consultant Teacher Services

¨       Assessment of the impact the student's hearing or vision loss has on student academic performance

¨       Monitoring of student academic performance

¨       Staff in-service

¨       Student in-service

¨       Regularly scheduled conferences

¨       Provision of adaptive materials

¨       Orientation to and monitoring of use of adaptive equipment

¨       Regular contact with appropriate medical professionals: (audiologist, ophthalmologist, optometrist) and parents

¨       As needed interaction with the student

The Student who is Visually Impaired

Who is the student who is visually impaired?

¨       A student with a loss of vision

¨       who may or may not be legally blind whose ability to succeed in school is compromised by vision loss

Direct Student Services

¨       Assessment of the impact the student's hearing or vision loss has on student academic performance

¨       Monitoring of student academic performance

¨       Provision of instruction in the areas of auditory training, language development and areas of academic need for the hard of hearing student, or

¨       Provision of instruction in braille reading and writing, Nemeth math code, utilization of low vision devices, listening skills, basic concepts, and areas of academic need for the visually impaired student

¨       Provision of instruction in the use of compensatory strategies

¨       Availability for counseling with the student in the area of related social-emotional needs

Student Placement

Students are placed through a referral process and recommendation from the local school district's Committee on Special Education.

Students who are