The Importance of Non-academic Tasks & Settings in Schools

School based OTs don’t only support students in their academic endeavors in the classroom. We are focused on the child’s engagement & participation throughout the school environment.

Children will often need therapeutic intervention to foster functional participation in these non-academic tasks, such as lunchtime routines, self-care skills, hallway transitions, play skills, recess, & gym class.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but definitely some of the most common areas to observe child performance and participation. It is common that many children will struggle most during these times of the day, which tend to be much less structured than daily classroom life. However, these unstructured times of day provide the context for so many occupations/activities of childhood - social skills, play, moving from one task to another, feeding and eating, moving their bodies, and more. School based OT can support students in successful participation in these areas of the school day, which then in turn can improve student performance during classroom learning activities.

If you are a therapist, a parent, or a teacher, consider discussing the participation and progress of your students in these non-academic areas of school. If there are strengths and weaknesses for your student, consider targeting services to provide therapeutic intervention there. Ask your school-based OT to observe your students in these areas and to provide analysis and recommendations for how to improve their performance and participation. All too often, these areas of the school day can contribute to behavioral challenges and participation challenges in the classroom.

We must think of the whole child, in the whole context of the whole school day.