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Occupational Therapy Services
Education is one area under the domain of occupational therapy. Education is defined as "activities needed for learning and participating in the educational environment "(AOTA, 2014). The occupation of education includes academic (e.g. math, reading, writing) and non-academic (e.g. recess, lunch, self-help skills), extracurricular, prevocational, and vocational activities (Knippenberg, C., Hanft, B, School System SIS Quarterly, AOTA, 2004). School occupational therapy services are different from occupational therapy in a more traditional medical setting (i.e., clinic, hospital). In general, laws and regulations relevant to shcool occupational therapy services assure students' ability to participate in their educational program; they do not include provisions to reduce underlying medical impairment. Practitioners focus on removing barriers from students' ability to learn and participate, and on helping students develop skills, which increase their independence in all aspects of the school environment and academic performance.
The 2017 edition of Occupational Therapy Guidelines for Occupational Therapy in Connecticut Schools is available through the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association's website, www.Connota.org/page/OTGuidelinesinCT. The guidelines provide a concise, comprehensive reference manual including laws and regulations, common evalulations, interventions, and documentation. helpful resources are embedded within each section as well as catalogued in the Resources section.
Resources to explore areas frequently addressed within Occupational Therapy follow.
