How can a private OT help
with my child’s IEP?
Your private OT is a part of your child’s
team! Private therapists are more than
happy to help collaborate with the
educational team, so everyone on the team
gets the ‘whole picture’ of your child.
Private therapists can be invited by you to
attend your child’s IEP/504 meeting or
provide a write up on your child’s private
therapy progress and goals for you to bring
to the IEP/504 meeting. Your private
therapists are there for you and your
family by bringing additional information
to help the team implement supports for
your child. As private therapists, we can
also gain more information from the
educational team that may further enrich
your child’s private OT sessions.
OT’s at Therapeutic Links are able
to complete a school observation,
review school goals, and communicate with
the school OT before attending the IEP
meeting with you if that is needed to better
support your child.
Additional IEP Resource:
For more assistance and
advocacy for your child’s IEP,
check out:
www.wrightslaw.com
Information brought to you by…
Therapeutic Links offers a FREE
screening for your child!
Occupational therapy treatment
may include working on:
- Fine motor skills
- Gross motor skills (balance,
coordination, ball skills)
- Hyperactivity or low energy
- Maintaining attention and focus
- Sensitivity to touch, sounds, smells,
movements, etc.
Our staff is dedicated to helping
children and their families
improve everyday functioning
and enhance meaningful
occupations of life!
(847) 548-3458
[email protected]
OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY
SCHOOL-BASED
AND
PRIVATE SERVICES
OT in the School Setting
Occupational therapists (OT) in the school
setting work on skills necessary for a student to
function in school, such as paying attention in
class, handwriting, participating in gym class,
etc. School OT’s provide a certain amount of
minutes directly (in class or pulled out) or
consultative by providing observations and
suggestions to classroom teachers. School OT’s
provide support through Response to
Intervention (RtI), a 504 Plan, or an IEP. OT
services are determined with the special
education service team and family to create a
plan for adaptations and accommodations for
the child to function and learn at school.
Why doesn’t my child qualify for OT in
his/her school?
“There is no problem they don’t
address or have a solution to [at
Therapeutic Links]. They have
There could be numerous reasons for this.
One reason may be that the challenges you are
experiencing at home or in the community are
not seen in the school setting. As long as your
child’s educational needs are being met, he or
she may not qualify for school OT services. OT
is not a stand alone educational support
service If your child does not qualify for an
IEP, he or she may qualify for OT through a
504 Plan or Response to Intervention (RtI).
been a big part of the progress
our kids have made. We could
not do without it.”
FAQ’s
Why does my child need both school
and private OT services?
OT in the Private Setting
OT’s in a private clinic focus on how the child
functions in the home, school, and the
community. A private OT clinic can address the
same issues your child may be experiencing in
the school, in addition to addressing specific
concerns you see outside of school by working
on key component areas, such as: strength,
coordination, sensory processing and postural
control. Typically, a child is seen individually,
one time a week for an hour if the results of the
initial evaluation warrant OT services. Private
clinics also offer a variety of other options, such
as social skills groups, peer interactions, job
skills, and more.
The main focus of the school OT is how your
child functions in the classroom and at
school. The main focus of a private OT is
how your child functions in daily life
activities, such as home activities, sports,
AM/PM routines, school, and supporting the
child’s school team.
Will school OT impact my child’s
classroom time?
If your child qualifies for school OT services,
the minutes may be met in the classroom,
outside the classroom, or on consultation.
The OT will work with the school team to
implement services in a way that supports a
child versus interfering.
I asked the school to provide sensory
integration therapy for my child, but
the school OT seems unable to do
this. What can I do?
Sensory integration is one perspective that
might be used as OT intervention. As stated
before, the focus of OT in the school is on
the child’s ability to function in the
educational environment. As long as the
educational needs are being appropriately
met, the school OT is operating within
his/her scope of practice. Some children
may be “holding it together” during the
school day, and present sensory concerns
when they get home. This is one situation
where private OT services may be
beneficial.