School Based Therapy
Frequently Asked
Questions
1. What is educationally relevant
occupational therapy?
Title
34, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 300.34(c)(6), defines occupational
therapy as services provided by a qualified OT, including the following:
·
Improving, developing or restoring functional
impaired or lost through illness, injury or deprivation;
·
Improving the ability to perform tasks for independent
functioning if functions are impaired or lost; and
·
Preventing, through early intervention,
initial or further impairment or loss of function
The
American Occupational Therapy Association fact sheet entitled Occupational Therapy in School Settings (2010)
states that, in the school setting, OTs support academic and nonacademic
outcomes, including social skills, math, reading and writing (i.e. literacy);
behavior management, recess; participation in sports; self-help skills;
pre-vocational and vocational participation; and more for children and students
with disabilities, 2 to 21 years or age.
2. What is educationally relevant physical
therapy?
34CFR
§300.34(c)(9), defines physical therapy as services provided by a qualified PT.
The American Physical Therapy Association developed a brochure entitled Providing Physical Therapy in Schools Under
IDEA 2004 (2009), which states that, as a member of the IEP team, PTs
design and implement physical therapy interventions, including teaching and
training the family and educational personnel and measurements and
documentation of progress, to help the student achieve IEP goals.
