Occupational Therapy

Provide a continuum of Occupational Therapy assessment and services that focus on play and leisure, academics, social participation, transition/work skills, self-care skills to individuals with exceptional needs. Services may include analyzing both the environment and activity and scaffolding those as appropriate to optimize access to educational environments and curriculum.

Assessment

Comprehensive occupational therapy assessment includes these components:

  • Case history, including medical status, education, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds and information from teachers and other related service providers

  • Patient/client/student and family interview

  • Review of auditory, visual, motor, and cognitive status

  • Standardized and/or non-standardized measures of specific areas: gross/fine motor, visual motor integration, visual perception, sensory processing, executive functioning, and self-help, including observations and analysis of work samples

  • Identification of potential for effective intervention strategies and compensations

  • Selection of standardized measures for gross/fine motor, visual motor integration, visual perception, and sensory processing assessment with consideration for documented ecological validity and cultural sensitivity

  • Follow-up services to monitor progress and ensure appropriate intervention and support for individuals with identified motor and sensory processing disorders

Creator: Hispanolistic | Credit: Getty Images

Services

Service delivery is a dynamic process whereby changes are made to:

  • Setting – the location of treatment (e.g., home, community-based, school, pull-out or within the classroom)

  • Dosage – the frequency, intensity, and duration of service

    • frequency (the number of treatment sessions over a set period of time)

    • intensity (the amount of time spent in each treatment session)

    • duration (the length of treatment received)

  • Format – the type of session

    • one-on-one (i.e., individual)

    • in a group, or

    • via consultation with other school staff and/or family/caregiver

  • Provider – the person administering the treatment (e.g., OT, support personnel, trained volunteer, caregiver)

    **Information obtained from ASHA.org

Creator: dragana991 | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Speech and Language Therapy