Post by @youreducationadvo

School based OT is not about providing every service an OT can offer in a medical setting. Under IDEA, school based occupational therapy is designed to help a student access, participate in, and make progress in their educational program. Depending on the student’s individual needs, a school based OT may work on: ✔ Fine motor skills for writing, cutting, manipulating classroom materials, and using technology. ✔ Visual motor integration for copying from the board, spacing, letter formation, and organizing written work. ✔ Sensory regulation strategies that help a student stay regulated and ready to learn throughout the school day. ✔ Self regulation and co regulation supports that help students participate successfully in instruction. ✔ Executive functioning skills such as planning, organizing materials, initiating tasks, and completing multistep assignments. ✔ Self care skills that impact school participation, including managing clothing, opening lunch containers, toileting routines, handwashing, and feeding when appropriate. ✔ Seating, positioning, and classroom ergonomics to improve attention, endurance, and access to learning. ✔ Assistive technology recommendations, adaptive equipment, pencil grips, slant boards, alternative seating, keyboarding supports, or other tools that improve access. ✔ Bilateral coordination, motor planning, and postural control needed for classroom activities, PE, playground participation, and navigating the school environment. ✔ Environmental modifications that reduce barriers and increase independence. ✔ Collaboration with teachers and staff to adapt classroom tasks and implement accommodations throughout the day. OT is not about making every student’s handwriting perfect. It’s about identifying the barriers that interfere with educational access and helping remove those barriers so students can participate as independently and successfully as possible. Every recommendation should be individualized based on the student’s unique needs, not a diagnosis or a one size fits all checklist. *Disclosure: All name, schools, and identifying details have been removed or altered to protect privacy. This content was created in a one-party consent state where all parties agreed and recorded the meeting. The purpose of this post is educational and advocacy-based. #fape #504plan #specialeducation #ieprights #advocate