If you are a parent of a child receiving OT at school, you WANT to read this!

Does your child receive school-based occupational therapy (OT) services? Are they working on goals such as fine motor skills, muscle strengthening, pre-writing and handwriting, and self-care skills?

There is a really good chance your child is working on these skills! However, it is really important for parents and caregivers to understand the full scope of OT in schools. Why? Because without understanding the full scope of OT, it is possible that your child may achieve goals in one area of school functioning, while other important areas are left behind or not addressed.

To start off with this, let's take a look at the purpose of OT in schools. Occupational therapy in schools serves to improve a child's access to education and their ability to participate in their school day. While educational and learning tasks in the classroom (such as writing, reading, math, etc.) take up the bulk of a child's time at school, this is NOT the only thing that occupies their time in the school environment!

From the start of a day through to the finish, school-day routines include:

• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) - managing clothing such as jackets and personal items (backpacks on/off), toileting and washing/drying hands.

• School arrival/dismissal and unpacking/packing- riding school buses or traveling with parents in cars.

• Educational task participation - coloring, writing & handwriting, cutting with scissors, reading, math & participation in other subject areas (science, social studies, art, music, technology, physical education class, etc.).

• Mealtime routines - snack time, cafeteria access and routines, eating, drinking, opening packages, managing the lunchbox, standing in line, holding a tray, etc.

• Social Participation- understanding rules, social expectations, participation in social interactions, social play, navigating social conflicts, etc.

• Health Management - understanding one's health needs, self-advocacy, emotional regulation skills, sensory health and awareness, etc.

• Sleep & Rest - for younger kids (early childhood) - participating in nap time and/or resting routines in preschool. For older kids- understanding how sleep quality and home routines affect their well-being and school day participation.

• Hallway transitions, navigating the physical school environment (indoors and outdoors, recess, drills, etc.).

Occupational therapy in schools is to help students participate and develop to their greatest capability in their role as a STUDENT. Also, OT can support students with and without disabilities. The purpose remains the same - to maximize a student's participation across their school day while promoting health and well-being.

In order to make sure that your child is succeeding in all parts of their school day, be sure to ask your school-based OT and your child's teacher about all the areas listed above. With your parental guidance and insight about your child's capabilities, their school-based occupational therapy programming can be maximized to support them in their full roles as students!

Don't let your child's school based OT services only focus on one area of function, if you or your child's therapist or teacher think they may need help in other areas. The essence of the OT profession is using occupation to positively influence other occupations. Skills gained in one area of the school day will often translate to other areas, too!