What is Occupational Therapy? 

Occupational therapy is defined as the therapeutic use of everyday life occupations with individuals, groups, or populations (i.e., students) to enhance or enable participation. OT services include habilitation, rehabilitation, and promotion of health and wellness. (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). Occupational therapists are skilled in evaluating the interrelationships among occupations, contexts, performance patterns, performance skills, and client factors in efforts to design occupation-based and client-centered intervention plans to improve towards functional goals. 

Common occupations that a child engages in include:

• Activities of Daily Living (e.g., eating, dressing, hygiene)

• Rest and Sleep

• Education

• Social participation

• Play 

• Leisure

Occupational Therapists support schools by: 

• Assessing a student's occupational performance in order to develop personalized treatment plans and interventions.

• Collaborating with teachers, staff and caregivers on effective strategies to use in the classroom and at home to work towards developing or improving students' functional goals. 

• Advocating for sustainable resources for teachers and caregivers.

• Providing necessary accommodations and environmental adaptations tailored to the student's needs to enhance their learning experience.

• Providing adaptive equipment and tools (e.g., adapted writing utensils or wobble cushions) to help with motor control, self-regulation or sensory challenges.

• Providing sensory tools (e.g., fidget rings, bubble poppers, playdoh, learning manipulatives) to promote focus and help retain and apply learned information.

• Promoting self-regulation strategies to manage impulsivity and emotional reactions to triggers in the environment.

About Doctoral Capstone Project

This doctoral capstone project was developed by a Midwestern University student. This capstone project aims to bridge the gaps and meet the needs of Noble Academy through the development of sustainable online platform for teachers. Within this webpage, you can find evidence-based information and a collection of resources for the following categories: (1) fine motor skills, (2) self care, (3) sensory integration, and (4) self-regulation. Strategies and tools within these four domains are tailored to support student learning and independence as well as provide accessible resources for families and caregivers. 

Bass JD, de Sam Lazaro SL, Baum CM, Marchant JK. Editorial: The Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) Model—An OTJR Focused Issue. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. 2024;44(3):449-454. doi:10.1177/15394492241252578

Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process-Fourth Edition. (2020). The American journal of occupational therapy: official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 74(Supplement_2), 7412410010p1–7412410010p87. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001