high school occupational therapy Archives

When Should School-Based OTs Stop Working on Handwriting?

By Devon Breithart / July 25, 2023

As a school-based OT, you probably often address handwriting, a fundamental skill that plays a crucial role in a child’s academic and personal development. Determining when to shift focus from handwriting practice to other essential skills is a critical decision. Unfortunately, figuring out exactly when school-based OTs should stop working on handwriting isn’t cut and …

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9 Cool Things School OTs Can Do

By Devon Breithart / August 18, 2022

School-based OT is a cool job at its core. Helping kids with disabilities be the best students they can be? That’s pretty rewarding in and of itself. But sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day of assessing, treating, and documenting. So when your job starts to feel a little repetitive and monotonous, …

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The Most Common High School OT Assessments

By Devon Breithart / January 17, 2022

Ever wondered what the most common high school OT assessments are? Look no further! I’ve gathered my fave ones I’ve used over the years with students from 9th grade all the way up to 22-year-old post-secondary students. Plus, I put this question out to the wider Dynamic School OT community to see what they had …

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School-Based OT Myths

By Devon Breithart / August 3, 2021

School-based OT can be pretty confusing. With all of the different laws and regulations that intersect with each other, it can be overwhelming to learn how to practice in this setting. And unfortunately, sometimes this confusion leads to the development of myths. Some of these come from well-meaning administrators who don’t fully understand the role …

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The Best CEUs for School-Based OTs

By Devon Breithart / December 18, 2020

What are the best CEUs for school-based OTs? That’s a good question! It can be tricky to find continuing education that is highly relevant to our practice. General occupational therapy CEU courses can be too broad, and the professional development school districts often provide is usually aimed at classroom teachers. So what’s a school-based OT …

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Shaving and Hair Removal for Teens with Disabilities

By Devon Breithart / July 8, 2020

As a school-based occupational therapist, during this period of distance learning, I’ve been creating a series of parent resources on ADLs and how they can be addressed at home. I wanted to share this information with a wider audience, so I’ll be posting them here as well. I hope this information is helpful! Puberty brings …

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Puberty and Sexuality for Teenagers with Disabilities

By Devon Breithart / May 20, 2020

Oh, man. This is such a tough topic! Sexuality for kids with disabilities is definitely something that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. What many people don’t realize is that occupational therapists are very qualified to address sexuality. It’s an ADL right next to dressing, toileting, or feeding. However, being qualified to address it and …

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Executive Function Strategies for Older Students

By Devon Breithart / May 12, 2020

Are you a school-based OT who knows executive function is important, but doesn’t know how to address it? Executive function is one of the most important areas we can consider when working with older students. Here’s your crash course on what exactly this means and the strategies you should be implementing with your middle and …

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Helping Teenagers Build Healthy Sleep Routines

By Devon Breithart / May 6, 2020

Do school-based OTs have a role in sleep hygiene? Well, we know that for students to thrive academically, a good night’s sleep is paramount. And as an expert in promoting overall well-being and optimal functioning, you as a school-based OT play a pivotal role in supporting students and their families. While you (hopefully!) won’t observe …

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High School OT: Building Fine Motor Skills at Home

By Devon Breithart / April 30, 2020

As a school-based occupational therapist, fine motor skills make up a large part of my practice. During this period of distance learning, I’ve been creating a series of parent resources on these skills and how they can be addressed at home. I wanted to share this information with a wider audience, so I’ll be posting …

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