P4C in Practice

What Does the Therapist Do in a School?

In the Partnering for Change model, occupational therapists (OTs) work collaboratively as part of the school team with the school as the “client.” The P4C OT is not focused solely on providing direct one-to-one intervention; many more strategies are used to support the participation and success of all children.

  • The P4C OT is available at the school regularly to address educator and family concerns.
  • The P4C OT works in natural context and so is present in the classroom, hallway, gym and playground.
  • The P4C OT builds capacity of educators through job-embedded learning so that opportunities for professional development occur naturally in the classroom.
  • The P4C OT provides resources and education to families to facilitate improved management of children’s needs at home.

Working Collaboratively

Occupational therapists bring knowledge about the health or developmental conditions that cause children with special needs to struggle in the school environment. Specific contributions provided by the P4C OTs in this project include:

Facilitate earlier identification of children with special needs by working with educators in full day kindergarten and primary grades

Facilitate earlier identification of children with special needs by working with educators in full day kindergarten and primary grades

  • Working alongside the educator, the P4C OT observes young students participating in daily activities at their coat hook or locker, in the classroom, on the playground and/or in gym. The OT helps educators as they learn to observe developmental differences in motor skills. The OT helps identify students whose motor difficulties are impacting on learning or participation.

Collaborate in the determination of individual student needs and learning profiles

Collaborate in the determination of individual student needs and learning profiles

  • The P4C OT familiarizes the educator with new strategies that work within the classroom to help students succeed. Therapists may collaborate with the educator on increasing the physical accessibility of their classroom or help with the design of activity centres that promote sensory, cognitive, and motor development. These activities support students with varied needs; for example, some students may benefit from learning to use self-regulation strategies. Other students may need to learn essential skills such as: dressing for the playground; managing backpacks, lockers and lunch containers; participating in Quality Daily Fitness; turning a doorknob or the pages of a textbook; scissor cutting; printing; copying from the board; keyboarding; or using a ruler or drawing.

Aid in the development of differentiated instructional strategies

Aid in the development of differentiated instructional strategies

  • For students having difficulty with classroom activities, P4C OTs problem-solve with the educator and facilitate the use of effective strategies. P4C OTs make recommendations around instructional, environmental and assessment accommodations to facilitate student success and skill development.
  • P4C OTs can also teach a whole class lesson for an activity that requires motor coordination (e.g. cutting with scissors, printing, cursive writing, keyboarding, or the Quality Daily Fitness routine). This modelling helps transfer knowledge to educators about instructional strategies for students with motor or attentional challenges and provides examples of different ways to support students.

Recommend materials, tools and/or technology to facilitate learning

Recommend materials, tools and/or technology to facilitate learning

  • OTs have expertise in the adaptation of materials and tools to help children function to the best of their ability. Adaptations to seating and desks, writing implements, paper, student agendas, worksheets, and storage of personal belongings are commonly recommended strategies. Use of a computer, tablet, or other forms of technology may be recommended to help with writing. OTs can complete the necessary forms to request a laptop or other accommodation.

Enhance educator capacity through provision of in-services, educational workshops and resources

Enhance educator capacity through provision of in-services, educational workshops and resources

  • By sharing knowledge and working collaboratively with educators, P4C OTs enhance educator capacity. This may occur informally through working together to problem-solve about a single student, or by the OT teaching the full class. It also may occur more formally via “lunch ’n learns”, workshops, or in-services. OTs also develop and share resources at a school or school board level.

Support parents in understanding their child’s challenges

Support parents in understanding their child’s challenges

  • Children experiencing challenges at school usually struggle with activities at home and in the community as well. Because the P4C OT is in the school on a regular basis, she can meet with families who provide another perspective on fully supporting a child. P4C OTs help families to set or modify expectations, provide evidence-based educational resources (in multiple languages), and suggest strategies to help the family enhance the child’s participation at home and in the community.
  • P4C OTs share resources and speak with parents at “preparation for kindergarten evenings” and school “open house” nights. P4C OTs also may present a topic of interest at a “parents’ night” or as an evening workshop.

Provide access to community resources that can support the student, the family and the educator

Provide access to community resources that can support the student, the family and the educator

  • OTs can serve as a bridge between the health care system and the educational system. They bring knowledge of child development, anatomy and physiology, mental and physical health conditions, and developmental disorders. They also are aware of health care and other services available to families in the community and can facilitate access to these services.