American
Occupational Therapy Association http://www.aota.org
American
Physical Therapy Association http://www.apta.org
The
Psychological Corporation http://www.hbtpc.com/
Sensory
Integration International http://home.earthlink.net/~sensoryint/
Physical
Therapy Resource http://www.resourcept.com
The
Idea Box http://www.theideabox.com
Kate
Gladstone's Handwriting Page http://www.members.global2000.net/~kate/
OT
Links Page http://www.aotf.org/html/ot_links.html#WWW.Links
I
believe that it is important that each of us understands the roles of others
within our department. I also believe
that we need an understanding of the services and programming options
available. Therefore, I am beginning a
series of brief introductions to different roles, responsibilities and programs
in the hope that you will find it useful in developing the most meaningful and
effective individual programs for your students. Because of the varied nature of their jobs, I have chosen to
start with our occupational and physical therapists. Currently, our department employs two occupational and one
physical therapist. However, as caseloads
expand and our number of exceptional students grows, I anticipate the need for
more therapists in each area.
An
Occupational therapist is a health care professional that treats children with
developmental disabilities, adults/children with injury or diseases, and adults
or children with mental deficiencies. The OT provides assessment services,
treatment and program suggestions. The
OT assesses daily living skills, upper extremity strength/range of motion,
developmental delays, cognitive functioning, visual perception, work hardening
skills, sensory integration, adaptive behavior, etc. Treatment includes self-help training, upper extremity strength
& endurance training, and enhancement of developmental skills.
A
physical therapist is a health care professional who evaluates and treats
people with health problems resulting from injury or disease. PT's assess joint
motion, muscle strength and endurance, function of heart and lungs, and
performance of activities required in daily living, among other
responsibilities. Treatment includes therapeutic exercise, work hardening,
cardiovascular endurance training, and training in activities of daily living.
Work
settings for occupational therapists include public schools, hospitals, private
clinics, community health centers, industrial health centers, mental health
facilities, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies,
pediatric centers, research institutions or colleges and universities.
What's
the difference between OT and PT?
Occupational
and Physical therapists are health care professionals that treat children with
developmental disabilities, adults/children with injury or diseases.
Occupational Therapists also work with adults/children with mental
deficiencies. In general, the OT and PT provide assessment services, treatment
and program suggestions. The OT assesses the areas of daily living skills,
upper extremity strength/range of motion, developmental delays, cognitive
functioning, visual perception, work hardening skills, sensory integration
and/or adaptive behavior. Treatment includes self-help training, upper
extremity strength/endurance training, and enhancement of developmental skills.
The PT assessment may include joint motion, muscle strength and endurance, work
hardening skills, function of heart and lungs, and/or performance of activities
required in daily living. Treatment includes therapeutic exercise, work
hardening, cardiovascular endurance training, and training in activities of
daily living.
What
is a COTA and PTA?
A
COTA is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. A PTA is a Physical Therapy
Assistant. COTAs and PTAs provide direct therapy service and home/school
programming. Their only restriction is in the area of formalized assessment and
treatment planning which must be done by an OT or PT.
What
type of children do they typically work with?
The
population that COTAs and PTAs work with is the same as those listed above for
OTs and PTs.
How
does a child qualify for OT/PT services in the school?
The
referral process begins with a professional, parent or agency requesting an OT
or PT consultation to determine the need for assessment or special programming.
The OT or PT does the consultation in conjunction with the classroom teacher
and other professionals involved. A screening for school functioning and a
classroom observation are done, resulting in a recommendation. If a full
assessment is recommended, the educational diagnostician requests parent
permission in an S-Team meeting. Once permission is granted, the OT and/or PT
completes the assessment, prepares a written report of eligibility and requests
an IEP meeting to discuss the results and propose an IEP if applicable.
(All activities should be
done with adult guidance and supervision.)
1.Squirt
Bottles and squirt guns are good for finger and grip strengthening. Have child
use sidewalk chalk to draw and then squirt clean.
2.Have
child assist in washing the table, car, windows and wringing out the towels
used.
3.Cutting
with scissors using paper and other textures (sand paper, yarn, etc.)
4.Finger
painting using pudding, paint or shaving cream with supervision.
5.Use
salad tongs to transfer items from one container to another. (marshmallows,
cotton balls, etc.)
6.Have
child string large macaroni, beads, etc. onto a stiff piece of yarn or
shoelace.
7.Have
child try to find items hidden in a large container of uncooked rice or beans
using their hands.
1.Flatten
on a table using palms
2.Flatten
using a rolling pin
3.Press
cookie cutters into putty using palm to press
4.Make
it into small balls then flatten using thumb and fingers
5.Make
a fist, put putty around fist and try to straighten fingers
1.Riding
bicycles, tricycles, scooters.
2.Have
child walk through sand, grass, etc. barefoot.
3.Flying
a kite
4.Climbing
stairs, ladders, trees, fences, etc.
5.Jumping
on a mini trampoline
6.Various
ball games and activities
7.Roller
skating or roller blading (with protective gear)
8.Walking,
crawling, rolling around different environments (grass, pillows, carpet, etc.)
9.Bean
bag games
10.Obstacle
courses
11.Sports:
gymnastics, swimming, t-ball, dance, etc.