What is occupational therapy?

An occupational therapist (OT) also evaluates and treats students, but instead of focusing on physical motor skills, they support participation in meaningful activities. During the school day, activities might include lessons, lunch, social participation, transitions, specials, and more. An OT creates an intervention plan to build student skills, change the activity, or modify the environment for successful student participation. Different types of occupational therapies are used to enhance different kinds of abilities like Occupational Therapy for self-regulation helps people to enhance their ability to control and adjust their emotions, behaviors, energy level, and attention. Some examples of occupational therapy intervention include:

 

Handwriting: Using visual motor skills to use lines to create letters and aligning the letters on the baseline.

Sensory processing: Integrating all of the sensory information in a classroom in a way that is adaptive and doesn’t inhibit their participation.

Holding a pencil: Using a functional grasp so the child can record their thoughts on paper.

Dressing: Independently dressing for classroom transitions, including recess or toileting.



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