Occupational Therapy
Welcome to the Occupational Therapy website. There are two Occupational Therapist's in the Lunenburg Public Schools: Maggie Porpora,MS, OTR/L (registered Occupational Therapist) and Jayne Dusek, COTA/L (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant). Mrs. Dusek works in the Primary School and Mrs. Porpora works at all three schools.We share our therapy rooms with Sue Richard, PT. Sue is in our district for 2 days a week and sees many of our students.
Hi, I am Mrs. Porpora. I have been an Occupational Therapist for 31 years now - how time flies. I am in my 9th year in the Lunenburg Schools. I graduated from Quinnipiac College in 1985 with my Bachelors Degree in Occupational Therapy and completed my Masters Degree from Quinnipiac University in May of 2010. I am married and have three children and two dogs who keep me very busy. I enjoy working with children in all different grade levels and adults. I have been lucky to have a chance to work as an Occupational Therapist in many settings. I have worked in pediatric rehab, early intervention, hand therapy, adult rehab, home care, therapeutic horseback riding, and a school setting. My interests are many and include quilting, assistive technology, hiking, biking, baking, gardening, reading and traveling to name a few.
Hi, I am Mrs. Dusek. I have been providing Occupational Therapy services for the town of Lunenburg since 2002. Prior to that I was employed in the schools by the towns of Marlborough and Chelmsford, and have also worked at several skilled nursing facilities in the area. As a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, I have had the opportunity to work directly with students of all ages. I feel very fortunate to be able to facilitate those skills necessary for children to succeed academically while also learning from each child. Children have always been a major part of my life. I have three grown children and four grandchildren. My passions include yoga, biking, hiking, and recently mindfulness/meditation.
Hi, I am Mrs. Richard.
What is Occupational Therapy ?
Occupational Therapist's and Certified Occupational Therapist's are part of the school team. In the school setting occupational therapy practitioners use their unique expertise to help children to prepare for and perform important learning and school-related activities and to fulfill their role as students. In this setting, occupational therapists support academic and non-academic outcomes, including social skills, math, reading and writing (i.e., literacy), behavior management, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, pre-vocational/vocational participation, and more, for children and students with disabilities, 3 to 21 years of age. Practitioners are particularly skilled in facilitating student access to curricular and extracurricular activities through supports, designing and planning, and other methods. Additionally, they play a critical role in training parents, other staff members, and caregivers regarding educating students with diverse learning needs. (AOTA fact sheet school practice 2010).
Occupational Therapy is defined as a related service and supports students that are eligible for special education on an IEP (individualized education plan). When concerns arise regarding a student's ability to participate in the classroom or school setting often an Occupational Therapist is consulted to determine if there is a need for services. A screening in the classroom or school setting is completed first or a consult with the classroom teacher to determine if accommodations can be made for the student to help him/her be successful. If after a short trial period the student is still struggling an evaluation may be recommended to determine if there are underlying weaknesses that are affecting the child's ability to participate in the classroom or school setting. Once an evaluation is completed the child's team will meet (teacher, parents, therapists) and determine if the student demonstrates delays in the areas of classroom fine motor skills (hand grasp/cutting/drawing/writing), social participation,sensory motor coordination, assistive technology,and/or classroom participation.
Occupational Therapy is provided in the least restrictive environment which often is in the classroom setting. It can also provided in a 1:1 setting in the therapy room where there is access to specialized equipment and a quieter space. Therapy can be provided on an individual basis, small group or consultative basis. Occupational Therapy is involved with whole school initiatives like the Handwriting Without Tears writing program at the Primary School, Early Intervention, Teacher Support Team, Child Study Teams, and many other school wide programs.
What is Physical Therapy in the schools?