Occupational therapists who work in schools work to promote student participation and engagement in their academic and social environments.
They address a wide variety of skills including, but not limited to, fine motor, sensory processing, self-help, executive functioning, self-regulation, and social skills. OTs use targeted interventions to help students develop foundational skills needed to participate in their daily activities at school.
They empower students by helping them to find and build upon their own special strengths and talents. They foster students' social and emotional well-being by collaborating with families and school staff to address challenges students face and promote positive social interactions with peers. They work to help students build the emotional resilience needed to take on challenges that they encounter as they navigate their educational experience.
April is Occupational Therapy Month. Let’s give a shout-out to all the school-based OTs out there making a difference in the lives of the students they treat.
Author: Linda Okonsky, MS, OTR/L