Preschool & IEP Process

Role of OT

• Educational Model versus Medical Model

• Must combine a foundation of OT theory and practice with an understanding of educational context, goals, curriculum, and federal/state laws and regulations

• School-based OT must be educationally relevant

• Any recommendations (goals, etc.) must relate to the general education curriculum and extracurricular activities

• Must know about the law and the process to best embed OT within preschools/schools

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The following are services that are requires under IDEA:

• FAPE

• LRE

• Appropriate evaluation

• IEP

• Parent & student participation

• Procedural safeguards

• Part B: OT is a related service:  services that “assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.”

FAPE: Free & Appropriate Public Education

1. Meets State standards

2. At public expense

3. Under public supervision

4. Include an appropriate education at all levels

5. Educate in accordance with the IEP

• Does not necessarily mean the “best” or the most “innovative.”  Instead, it means the supports and services that most “adequately” meets the needs of a child with a disability. 

• If the district cannot provide FAPE, the student must be placed in a specialized school setting at the district’s expense

Evaluation

• * To determine whether the child has a disability.  If he/she does and is eligible for Special Education, then what services/supports are necessary?

• * A variety of assessment tools and methods are required to identify pre-academic, functional, and developmental skills

• * Federal Timeline: 60 calendar days

• * State Timeline: dependent on each state - may be 60 days or less 

• * Multi-disciplinary versus Individual disciplines

• * Present occupational profile, observations, interviews, records/data review, work sample review, a variety of assessment tools/methods

• * GOAL: Understanding student participation and performance in a variety of school contexts

Eligibility

• Criteria:

  • qualify under a disability category (e.g. autism, CP)

  • qualify under developmental delay (only until 5 yrs)

• *Students need to be eligible for SpEd & identified as a child with an educational/developmental disability PRIOR to determining related service needs

  • Developmental delay is an acceptable diagnosis until kindergarten ONLY

  • Medical diagnoses and educational diagnoses are not the same 

• Transdisciplinary Play-based Assessment (TPBA)

• M-FUN (fine motor, visual motor, gross motor)

• SP-2

• SPM-P

• BOT-3 (fine & gross motor)

IEP: Individualized Education Program

• Special Education Team:

  • Parents

  • Student

  • General education

  • Special education

  • Related services

  • Administration

  • Any other stakeholders that the family invites

• IEPs are developed at IEP meetings to show team consensus with the plan

• Includes PLOPs: Current Performance, Strengths, Concerns, Impact

  • present levels of academic achievement & functional performance

  • Goals/objectives (including a plan for progress monitoring)

  • Services, accommodations/modifications, supports, placement required

• Services: IS OT REQUIRED TO HELP THE CHILD BENEFIT FROM THEIR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM? What does this mean?

  • Children don’t come to school to get their special services… INSTEAD they get their special services so that they can participate in school.  This is the edu vs med model again!

  • They don’t get services for temporary issues that are best served in a medical office (e.g.: broken elbow, etc.)

Direct Services

•  1:1* 

•  Small group: <4*

•  Large group: >4**

•  Push-in*

•  Pull-out

*Most common

** Least common

Indirect Services

• Services provided on behalf of the child

  • Consultation, Collaboration, Coaching

  • Co-teaching

  • School-wide Supports/Committees

•  Documentation considerations

•  Advocacy considerations

Annual Review (AR) & Triennial Review (TRI)

• * IEPs are reviewed AT LEAST 1x/year

• * OT services can be D/C with data to support that the child no longer requires OT to benefit from his/her special education program

• * A child must be re-evaluated every 3 years to determine if they still qualify for special education under the current eligibility criteria

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act & Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• A civil rights act that prevents discrimination against children with disabilities

• Focused on accessibility and modifications/accommodations for the learning environment

• More broadly defines disability when compared to IDEA

• OT can be a stand-alone service

• OT can be delivered directly to students or through a consultation model

ESSA: Every Student Success Act

(NCLB: No Child Left Behind or ESEA: Elem & Secondary Education Act)

• ESEA (1965): Grants to school districts of low income students. Efforts to improve quality of elementary and secondary education

• NCLB (2002): General education law focused on accountability, outcomes, and high standards of education.  If your school didn’t meet standards/outcomes based on testing, then students could go to another school

• ESSA (2015): Focus on disadvantaged and high-needs students.  Improved quality of education to prepare for college and careers. Provides high standards for education and preschool

  • https://www.ed.gov/essa 

RtI: Response to Intervention

• Services focusing on high-quality instruction provided in general education in an effort to avoid intensive services in the future

• Includes EBP, progress monitoring, screening, and a tiered approach to services/supports

• OT has a role to play at each level

• Tier I: School-wide supports for quality classroom instruction

  • handwriting curriculum; school-wide sensory supports (water fountain breaks)

• Tier II: Targeted interventions

  • Pencil pushers group, running club, music and movement group

• Tier III: Individualized instruction (referral to SpEd)