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Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy (OT & PT)

PT/OT

The provision of occupational and physical therapy in the schools is based upon an educational model and not a medical model. Within the educational model, the therapists adhere to educational regulations. Medical authorization is not needed for OT but is required for PT. The therapist evaluates the child for functioning in the EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT. It is helpful to have information from the child’s medical team, but that medical team does not determine the need for educational therapies. Therapy is not intended to induce recovery, but instead an increase in functioning and the child’s ability to access the educational environment.

Physical and Occupational Therapies in the school environment focus on:

• Developing functional skills and adaptations that promote attainment of educational objectives

• Improving knowledge and skills of the family and educational staff regarding the educational impact of the student’s disability on their educational program

• Maximizing the child’s ability to execute functional tasks required at school and access adaptive equipment

• Enabling the child to participate in school activities and remain in the least restrictive environment

• Providing for the student’s optimal freedom of movement and access in the school setting

• Facilitating the student’s ability to respond to basic sensorimotor information as a foundation for the acquisition and development of motor skills and for the organization of attention and behavior • Maintaining the child in the best position of stability to increase functional usage of hands and to optimize learning

• Communicating the student’s skills to the educational team • Improving the competency of educational staff in body mechanics, handling techniques, and motor skills

• Providing educationally based therapy activities both within and outside of the classroom 

 

MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)

The MTSS Occupational Therapy Program provides whole-class lessons that educate both
teachers and students on practical strategies to support sensory processing, motor
development, perceptual skills, and self-regulation. These lessons focus on building the
underlying skills necessary for academic success, including attention and focus, reading
readiness, handwriting, fine motor coordination, scissor skills, visual-motor integration, posture,
crossing midline, and hand skill development, such as strength, grasp, and dexterity.
Instruction is provided within the general education classroom, with the classroom teacher
actively participating alongside students. This collaborative model allows occupational therapy
strategies and activities to be seamlessly incorporated into daily classroom routines, promoting
consistency, carryover, and long-term skill development. By embedding these supports into the
classroom environment, the MTSS Occupational Therapy Program benefits all students while
also helping identify those who may require additional targeted or individualized interventions.

We recommend the 8 weeks of whole group instruction with 2 weeks of pre/post testing. This
has been very beneficial for our districts that are just starting the program.
10 weeks of MTSS= $650 per classroom
Here is an outline of the 8 weeks and the skills being addressed:

● Week 1 – Posture and Core Stability
● Week 2 – Directionality / Body Awareness
● Week 3 – Crossing Midline / Hand Dominance
● Week 4 – Hand Skills / Scissor Use
● Week 5 – Developmental Hand Skills / Grasp Pattern
● Week 6 – Sensory Systems / Pyramid of Learning / Sensory Motor Development
● Week 7 – Visual Motor Development / Pre-writing & Writing Progression
● Week 8 – Look at the Whole

The data then gathered after the 8 weeks of instruction also provides us with the information to
move onto Tier II of MTSS and support those students that continue to need additional support
in a small group setting.

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