Occupational Therapy's Role in School Settings

Occupational Therapy (OT) supports students, both in special education and in general education, to access the school environment and their academic curricula to the best of their abilities.

While the ways in which individual school districts and their provision of OT services may look different, the commonality is that occupational therapists look at all children through a holistic lens. Occupational therapists are able to promote strategies to support positive physical and mental health, use preventative strategies for children who are at-risk for challenges and decreased participation, and provide skilled interventions for children who have physical or mental challenges that affect their ability to participate in the school setting.

Occupational therapists assess and provide skilled services to address the following occupations, or “activities” that influence a child’s participation at school:

1. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as dressing skills, feeding, eating, toileting, etc.

2. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) such as functional use of technology for school, assistive technology devices, or personal devices such as managing a catheter or prosthesis on oneself.

3. Social Participation including communication and playing with other children, as well as understanding and connecting with others.

4. Play Skills in both structured and unstructured environments, games, teamwork, following rules.

5. Leisure Skills including development of hobbies and interests that are extra-curricular such as clubs or other interest/activity groups.

6. Education participation in academic tasks and learning activities that are part of the academic curriculum.

7. Sleep and Rest such as educating children and helping them to develop sleep routines to promote healthy growth and ability to participate in the school day. This also can include helping students and families be more aware of lifestyle imbalances and how to restore balance for productive sleep, which is essential to human health.

8. Work, which includes development of pre-vocational skills that can support student learning and function as they grow into adulthood.

9. Health Management, including knowledge of how to care for one’s body and mind and how to promote engagement in healthy activities and routines that support overall health. This may include things such as nutritional choices, management of sleep and rest, and building awareness of one’s sensory profile, needs, and strategies to support health and well-being. Mental health literacy and creation of healthy habits for sleep, energy usage, eating routines, and activity choices that promote health and well-being are part of this category.

Children spend a large percentage of their time in school. School is part of the natural context of a child. Occupational therapists serve to help all children access their education and school environment through health promotion, prevention of problems, and skilled intervention for those with individualized physical, mental, or psychosocial challenges.