Tips from Capital Kids

Detailing areas of focus for occupational therapy services and providing tips and tricks to help YOU help your child or student!

School Based Occupational Therapy

School-based occupational therapy practitioners are occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who use meaningful activities (occupations) to help children and youth participate in what they need and/or want to do in order to promote physical and mental health and well-being. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensory components of performance. In schools, occupational therapy practitioners focus on academics, play and leisure, social participation, self-care skills (ADLs or Activities of Daily Living), and transition/ work skills. Occupational therapy’s expertise includes activity and environmental analysis and modification with a goal of reducing the barriers to participation (AOTA, 2017).

NOTE: Occupational Therapy (OT) services in a school setting are not intended to maximize skill level, but rather to develop as much as possible the foundations necessary for the child to benefit from his or her individualized educational plan (IEP).

Common Intervention Areas

Handwriting

Research has proven that there is a positive correlation between better handwriting skills and increased academic performance in reading and writing.

Scissor Skills

Cutting with scissors builds bilateral coordination skills so they can use both hands together in a coordinated manner.

Sensory Needs

Sensory skills are a critical developmental milestone among children. Children learn through engaging with the world around them, and the senses help process what they encounter.