School Tools

There are many differences between medical and educational pediatric occupational therapy. It is important to note that educational pediatric occupational therapy is not a substitute for medical therapy.

Occupational therapists in the schools use their expertise to assist children in preparation and performance of learning and school-related tasks which helps them to succeed as students.8  They accomplish this through environmental modifications (such as preferential seating, providing incline or slant boards for writing, etc.), behavior management, and incorporating sensory breaks (these breaks may involve jumping on a mini-trampoline or using other sensory equipment to help positively alter the child’s arousal level).  The occupational therapy intervention provided by the school does not promote integration or long-term regulation in the child. These are goals of medical occupational therapy.

Medical occupational therapy goals for children are always on developing automatic and appropriate responses to sensation so that daily occupations can be competently performed, and social participation fostered.9 Developing automatic and appropriate responses to sensations can only be achieved through integration of the senses. Integration is a very different concept than sensory stimulation.  When working on sensory integration, occupational therapists help your child take in sensory information and process it around a novel task (motor planning) and help her to understand and manage these experiences. For example, if a child has motor planning problems, the therapist may use a game that requires multi-step sequencing; providing the appropriate support to help the child achieve success. This game may be played in a big gym full of sensorimotor activities. Each of these activities provides different levels of vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, and visual input for him. Once a task is learned, the therapist will conceive a new, more challenging task for the child. Therapy transpires through the medium of play in pediatric occupational therapy.  Play is internally motivating for the child and therapy is most effective facilitated in the child’s natural occupation.

Occupational therapy in the school setting does not provide the necessary therapy through play and will not help the child overcome their developmental delays. Instead, the school occupational therapist helps the child to manage their disabilities to perform school-related tasks. Therefore, occupational therapy provided in the school setting cannot replace private occupational therapy.  Should the child require services in the school setting, this should be in addition to, and not in place of, medical therapy.