Occupational Therapists in Education: Supporting IEP Goals and Student Success

As a school-based occupational therapist, OT, I believe that the start of the school year is an opportunity to get a fresh start and get organized. Ive been working in the school system for over 20 years, and each year I try to make it my best. Organizing and preparing at the start of the school year will ensure that everyone is ready as the year progresses.

How OTs Review IEPs and Prepare for the School Year

Each year starts with reviewing the students Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), including the students diagnosis, age, grade, objectives OT is supporting, and meeting minutes. Ive found that creating a table for each school, which includes the students teacher and any additional information I think pertinent regarding the student, helps me. The start of the school year is also when I meet with my teachers to introduce myself and/or catch up with returning teachers.

Why OTs Collaborate with Teachers and Parents in Schools

In the school setting, the teachers are the students case managers, and in most states, OT is considered a related support service. This means that OT does not have their own IEP goal or objective but works with the teacher to support specific objectives. To make this work successfully, its important that I communicate and collaborate with my teachers and support staff about my role and how I support the student and address their educational goal(s). This communication is ongoing, not just to the teachers but to the parents and other team members. Often, parents and teachers dont understand our role as OTs in the school system, and we must explain that we support the child in their role as a student.

Part of this education includes educating stakeholders that OTs in the school provide educationally relevant services and focus on supporting students in accessing their educational environments and making recommendations and suggestions to help them address their educational goals. This communication can be enhanced by sending an OT introductory letter home to introduce myself to the parents and provide them with my contact information.

Flexible Scheduling Strategies for School-Based OTs

Set up for the year also includes preparing my student folders, which include both virtual content and tangible resources that I will use with the student to support their educational objectives. Scheduling is also a task that school-based OTs undertake at the start of the year. Like many school-based OT practitioners, I have multiple schools, so the schedule can be somewhat challenging. To schedule correctly, you must be aware of your students' special subjects (art, music, PE) times, lunch times, as well as any other services they may receive, such as speech and physical therapy. A big part of being a school-based OT is being flexible and knowing that things are always changing. We may add and dismiss students from our caseloads, and students schedules may change, which requires us to be flexible and reschedule.

Once schedules are finalized and introductory letters have been sent home, and weve communicated with the teacher and classroom staff, we can begin treating our students. This can be the fun part of the day. It involves getting to know the kids, what they like, what they dislike, what motivates them, and thinking about fun and engaging strategies to support them.

Its also about finding and creating the right resources to support students based on their educational and developmental needs. This might include ensuring you have the necessary visual supports to work with your students, as well as adaptive equipment and materials that allow students to access their educational tools. For example, this may include assessing what type of adaptive utensils the student needs to feed themself.

It may also include assessing how to support a student with scissor skills, such as determining the type and thickness of paper the student performs best with, the type of scissors the student needs, and how to effectively cue the student to complete the task. Then, its vital that I share this information with their teacher so they can support the student in class. My goal is not just to have the student perform the tasks with me, but to have them do it across various settings, including in their classroom with their teacher, and to help embed the activity into the students classroom routine so it becomes a natural part of their day.

Being a school-based OT practitioner involves wearing many hats, including working with students and helping to identify supports and resources they need to be successful, advocating for our students, managing paperwork and documentation, collaborating with others, communicating effectively, and being flexible.

Author the Author

Jacqueline Wynter is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience. She earned her BS in Occupational Therapy from Utica College and her MS and OTD in Occupational Therapy from A.T. Still University. Jacqueline has worked with pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations across various settings, including the school system, home health, sub-acute facilities, and long-term acute rehabilitation.

Jacqueline is an independent contributor to CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program. Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the independent contributor and do not necessarily represent those of CEUfast. This blog post is not medical advice. Always consult with your personal healthcare provider for any health-related questions or concerns.

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