The OT Schoolhouse Podcast for School-Based OT Practitioners

Latest Episodes:

Incorporating Mindfulness as a School-Based OT Practitioner feat. Deirdre Azzopardi, OTD, OTR/L Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of the OT schoolhouse podcast, we discuss mindfulness in school-based OT with Dr. Deirdre Azzopardi of TheMindfulSchoolOT.com.

Dierdre is an experienced school-based OT who has been incorporating mindful practices into her life personally and professionally. She uses mindfulness to support students, teachers, and administrators in her school district and has seen the benefits.

If you are unsure of what mindfulness fully entails or are already on board the mindfulness train and want to get some insight into how you can incorporate it into your sessions, be sure to listen to this episode.

View the resources mentioned & a transcript of this episode at OTSchoolhouse.com/episode92

Thanks for tuning in!
Thanks for tuning into the OT Schoolhouse Podcast brought to you by the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative Community for school-based OTPs. In OTS Collab, we use community-powered professional development to learn together and implement strategies together.
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and check out the show notes for every episode at OTSchoolhouse.com
See you in the next episode!

OTS 91: What the Every Student Succeeds Act means for OTPs with Abe Saffer, MPM Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Our role in special education was established in 1775 with the passing of The Education for All Handicapped Children Act. A lot has changed since then and we now have what is called the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA.

In this episode of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, we are welcoming Abe Saffer, MPM. Abe is the Senior Legislative Representative for AOTA and I asked him to come on the show to share with us how laws created and updated in Washington D.C. impact us as practicing school-based OTs.

Specifically, we will be discussing how IDEA differs from the Every Student Succeeds Act and what it means for us as OTPs, both now and in the coming years.

Listen in to better understand your role as a school-based OT.

View the show notes and a transcript of this episode at otschoolhouse.com/episode91

Teletherapy Beyond the Pandemic with Kristin Martinez , M.A., CCC-SLP & Tasha Holmes, MOT Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

During the pandemic, teletherapy found its foothold as the world shut down and continues to now reopen. However, despite schools and businesses reopening, this is just the beginning of the story for occupational therapy and the doors that have opened in the world of teletherapy.

In today’s episode, we are talking with Occupational Therapist, Tasha Holmes, and Speech Pathologist, Kristin Martinez, from PresenceLearning. PresenceLearning is one of the largest providers of teletherapy services and in this episode, we are going to learn how they adapted during the pandemic and where they see teletherapy headed as the world continues to become more emerged in technology.

Join us and we explore the future of teletherapy with Kristin Martinez, M.A., CCC-SLP & Tasha Holmes, MOT, OTR/L
Listen to the full episode and view a transcript of the episode at OTSchoolhouse.com/episode90

Handwriting & Beyond in School-Based OT with Dr. Beverly Moskowitz, DOT, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of the OT School House Podcast, we have a very special guest with decades of experience in helping therapists, teachers, and adults around the world to support students with handwriting difficulties.
Dr. Bev is a nationally recognized speaker with 43+ years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. As a school therapist, she serviced more than fifteen school districts, visiting over 60 individual schools. She has experienced the shift of practice in the schools over the years and shares her knowledge with us in this interview.
A creative entrepreneur, determined researcher, and tireless professional, she is also the author of The Size Matters Handwriting Program. Currently used in every state and 5 continents, its concept-driven approach to teaching and remediating handwriting has been proven effective at a .001 level of significance in the largest research study ever done on handwriting.
I am excited to have Dr. Moskowitz joining us to talk about all things School-Based OT.
This interview was recorded on a youtube live video. If you would like to view the recorded video, you can do so at otschoolhouse.com/episode89

Changing the Face of School OT Feat. Jaime Spencer, MS, OTR/L Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

School-based Occupational therapists have been a part of public education since legislation was initially enacted in the 1970’s. Contrary to this, school-based OT practitioners often do not have pathways to educational leadership. OT practitioners are unable to serve as administrators within a school system in 46 states in the United States.
In this special episode of the OTSH Podcast, we will explore the unique qualities that OT practitioners possess that support leadership roles within a school system. Barriers to advancing into leadership positions (e.g., policy) OT practitioners’ face will be identified, and solutions will be discussed.
View the show notes and watch the video recording of this presentation at otschoolhouse.com/episode88

Fostering Safe & Regulating Environments in the Classroom with Dr. Jamie Chaves, OTD, OTR/L, SWC Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

School-based occupational therapists wear many hats. Sometimes we treat students individually and other times we have to train the teachers in ways they can support students in the classroom.

Today, we are focusing on supporting teachers in fostering safe and regulating environments in the classroom for students with sensory differences.

Joining me today to discuss this topic is Dr. Jamie Chaves, OTD, OTR/L, SWC. Dr. Chaves is a pediatric occupational therapist and is also the OT Division Leader at the Center For Connection. Along with co-author, Ashley Taylor, Psy.D., Dr. Chaves has written two books to support therapists and educators working with students who have sensory differences.

You can find both books on Amazon. They are titled “The Why Behind Behaviors” and “Creating Sensory Smart Classrooms”

*Affiliate links included help the OT School House to earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
View the full show notes including resources mentioned in this episode at otschoolhouse.com/episode87

Journal Club: The Problem with Caseloads Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

In this journal club edition of the OT School House Podcast, we are examining the 2020 Seruya & Garfinkle article about current workload trends in school-based OT.

We will discuss the findings from a survey of 571 OT Practitioners working in the schools just like you and talk about the real-life implications your caseload can have on your practice as an OT practitioner in the schools.

Spoiler alert: Your Caseload is likely holding you back, but listen in to hear how you are not alone and what steps you can take to move forward.

Also, stay tuned until the end for a special announcement and giveaway from Jayson.

Learn more about the Making the Shift: Caseload to Workload Workshop at OTSchoolHouse.com/maketheshift
View the full show notes at otscholhouse.com/episode86

Moving Toward Collaborative Services Featuring Meghan Fox, OTR/L Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I am bringing on Meghan Fox, OTR/L, from Wootherapy.com to talk about her transition from providing primarily pull-out OT services, to a more collaborative service approach.
Meghan shares with us why she decided to make the move and what those collaborative services look like. Also, she gets very real with us and shares what is (and is not) working during the transition.
There will always be students who need pull-out services, but there will also be students who learn best from in-class, contextually relevant services. So let's talk about how we do that.
Listen in for more and check out the show notes at otschoolhouse.com/episode85

Journal Club: OT in High School & Post-Secondary Transition Planning Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Help! I was just assigned to a high school & I have no idea what to do!!
Ever had that thought before? It is not uncommon for me to receive an email with something like that in my inbox.
Now, I am no specialist in providing OT in high schools, but just like you, I can read some articles and listen to others who have done it before to learn from them.
In this episode, I am sharing my experiences from working at the high school level and also what I learned from two recent articles about OTs providing Post Secondary Transitional (PSTP) Services.
Check it out!
The 2 articles:

Doris Pierce, Amy Spence, Lisa Sakemiller & Celeste Roberts (2021) School-based Transition Readiness Services for Adolescents with Disabilities, Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 14:2, 207-224, DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2020.1835601
Pierce D, Sakemiller L, Spence A, LoBianco T. Effectiveness of Transition Readiness Interventions by School-Based Occupational Therapy Personnel. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. 2020;40(1):27-35. doi:10.1177/1539449219850129

Evaluations vs. Screenings Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Jayson shares the difference between screenings and evaluations. Using AOTA documents, IDEA references, and court cases, we will discuss when it is and is not appropriate to use screenings in a school-based setting. We will also briefly discuss how to ensure that your using a top-down approach when completing evaluations.
View the transcript and resources tied to this episode at otschoolhouse.com/episode83

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The OT Schoolhouse Podcast for School-Based OT Practitioners

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected