The Difference Between School & Clinic-Based Occupational Therapy Supports
Understanding the role of Occupational Therapy (OT) in school and in the clinic setting can be an important distinction when advocating for your students’ needs.
School-based OT practices may involve:
- Sensory accommodations and strategies for students in their educational settings. Some examples can include and are not limited to: visual schedule, use of fidgets, preferential setting, movement breaks, etc.
- Skills needed for writing, typing, and other fine motor tasks
- Skills needed for learning such as organizational tools, attention, behavioral and emotional regulation
- Self-care supports in the educational setting such as toileting skills, feeding supports
- Provide support and education to school IEP/Section 504 teams to support the student’s success at school
Clinic-based OT services provide:
- Direct treatment for sensory processing problems in environments in the home, community, and any additional supports that may not be carried out in the school environment such as feeding delays and challenges, sleep and behavioral problems, bathing, dressing, development delays and so much more
- Parent education and caretaker support
- Support to medical teams
If you feel your child may qualify for school OT services and wish to request an evaluation, do not hesitate to talk to your school IEP/Section 504 teams. Call our parent consultants today at 801-272-1051 and we can support you with information about making this request in writing. We can also provide you with information when looking for outpatient clinics and supports in your area.
Check out these additional links below to find out how these services might benefit your child.
