School Occupational Therapy: Staying Focused on Participation and Educational Performance

ABSTRACT Occupational therapy practitioners working in school settings must articulate their distinct value in supporting student participation and educational performance. Using a systems-level practice, they weave their knowledge and skills as leaders at the district-, building-, classroom-, and student-levels to achieve “health, well-being, and participation in life through occupation” (AOTA, 2014, pS2). Evidence-guided practices indicate should practitioners should focus on embedding services within the classroom to enhance the student’s participation and engagement in the natural routines of their environment is essential. To enhance the utilization of the participation focus by practitioners, examples of practice strategies in evaluation and intervention are provided, as well as vignettes comparing strategies with an impairment and remediation focus to a participation and performance focus to an impairment and remediation focused strategies are discussed.