Collaboration is Key! So, Why So Many Barriers for Teachers & Occupational Therapists?

Let’s talk about a hot button topic that resonates for probably every teacher and every school-based occupational therapist (OT) - barriers to collaboration! In my experience as a school-based OT, both therapists and teachers wish they had MORE time to collaborate, consult, and problem solve together for their students. This is, after all, what we are actually supposed to do. Not only does collaboration provide the foundation for the best student outcomes, but it (under the guise of interprofessional collaboration) is mandated by special education law under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004).

However, the reality of the school day brings many barriers and challenges to efficient and effective collaboration time for teachers and OTs. There may be many reasons behind this, as reported by each profession. Some reasons may be easily addressed, while others may not. In fact, current research shows that teachers and OTs report many similarities when it comes to barriers to collaboration. They include lack of time, lack of understanding of the role of OT, limited pre-service preparation for student teachers about how they can work with OTs in schools and what to expect, and lack of administrative support, among others (Benson et al., 2016; Bolton & Plattner, 2020; Cahill & Egan, 2017; Truong & Hodgetts, 2017).

Clearly, teachers want more time with OTs, and OTs want more time with teachers.

The only way this can change in the future is for OTs and teachers to work together to advocate for themselves as professionals on behalf of the students they serve. Time constraints, testing pressures, classroom management, the distinct needs of special education students, communication with families, documentation and progress monitoring, lesson planning, treatment planning, teacher evaluations, and meetings are all examples of some of the job demands of teachers and therapists.

The daily grind of school-based life can be fast, exciting, daunting, and emotionally taxing for many. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, school staff are dealing with more than ever before, and it’s taking a toll. Record numbers of teachers have retired or left the profession. Staff shortages are real. Kids and families continue to adjust to getting ‘back to life’, even though much has changed for all people as compared to the pre-pandemic world. Mental health, physical health, and overall health and well-being has taken a hit for many people.

More than ever before, more collaboration is needed among the professionals who already inhabit the schools. Teachers and OTs tend to ‘work closely’ together in the sense that many students in classrooms may be serviced directly by an OT. The time that is needed to effectively share knowledge, implement strategies into the classroom, and problem solve together is often scarce. Better systems need to be in place to ensure efficiency of services, carryover of strategies into classrooms, and time spent wisely for teachers and therapists.

As a school based OT, I have found the following strategies to be helpful in initiating and sustaining better collaboration time with teachers:

1. Plan “prep” time (if you have it) to coincide with grade-level meetings by teachers, which usually take place once a week or a few times per month. Offer to meet with teachers on a single grade level and to provide whole-classroom strategies for topics of interest such as seating and positioning, handwriting, or self-regulation skills. Topics can be discussed with teachers and the OT can prepare helpful information for them for future meetings.

2. Talk to building administrators about district inservice days and offer to give your time to have a Q & A with teachers or to present on a topic that interests them.

3. Hold virtual “office hours” during a few of your own prep times during the week or month. Since therapists and teachers often have very different schedules with different prep times, holding a consistent time in which you can be accessed by teachers can be helpful, as they can plan their schedule to discuss things with you as they need. Using a platform such as Google Meet or Zoom can go far in this type of situation, making the chances of meeting and discussing much easier and more accessible. This really comes in handy for therapists who travel between buildings or service different schools each week.

References:

Benson, J. D., Szucs, K. A., & Mejasic, J. J. (2016). Teachers’ perceptions of the role of occupational therapists in schools. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 9(3). DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2016.1183158

Bolton, T. & Plattner, L. (2020). Occupational therapy role in school-based practice: Perspectives from teachers and OTs. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 13(2). DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2019.1636749

Cahill, S. M., & Egan, B. E. (2017). Perceptions of occupational therapy involvement in school mental health: a pilot study. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1281

Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-446, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400-1482.

Truong, V. & Hodgetts, S. (2017). An exploration of teacher perceptions toward occupational therapy and occupational therapy practices: A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 10(2). DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2017.1304840