Have you ever thought of having your students be the handwriting teachers? By having students apply what they learned during an OT session, they can go back into the classroom to share the letter stories and formations with everyone… including the teacher! This is a great functional way to help them solidify what they learned. Today, Cheryl Bregman is here to discuss some common handwriting norms on which she is flipping the script. We also dive into how children have been affected with dysgraphia and pseudo dysgraphia and how a collaborative approach can help. Tune in to learn about an awes ..read more

What do you think of when you hear the phrase trauma responsive?  This concept goes beyond trauma-informed care. Tune in to hear Dr. Gibbs speak about her book, Trauma Treatment in Action, and how as OTPs, we need to be more responsive to the needs of a client regarding their mental health, just as if we were working with someone who had a stroke or other physical ailment.  Listen now to learn the following objectives: Learners will identify the five dimensions of trauma and how to use these in practice Learners will identify what ACTION is and how it can be used in OT Learners will ..read more

Did you know that Einstein and Thomas Edison may have had dysgraphia?  In our chat with Cheri Dotterer today, she discusses the truth about dysgraphia. A lot of us have had specific beliefs about what dysgraphia consists of, but the true definition may surprise you. She also explores the different types of dysgraphia and bilateral integration, which include interlaced, symmetrical, and asymmetrical. Tune in to learn even more about dysgraphia, and the results of a 6-week handwriting club focused on visual perception, visual motor, and memory with limited pencil use.  Listen now to l ..read more

Have you ever thought about what it might look like working with transition-aged students? Even if you are currently working with them now, you may still question how to best use your skills to work with these older school-aged students effectively.  Today, we are speaking with Justin Lundstedt, OTR/L, where he will discuss many areas of TAS and executive functioning. Tune in to learn how you can help these students find motivation and success in their life outside of school. Listen now to learn the following objectives: Learners will identify what transition-aged students are Learners ..read more

Have you ever thought about what it might look like working with transition-aged students? Even if you are currently working with them now, you may still question how to best use your skills to work with these older school-aged students effectively.  Today, we are speaking with Justin Lundstedt, OTR/L, where he will discuss many areas of TAS and executive functioning. Tune in to learn how you can help these students find motivation and success in their life outside of school. Listen now to learn the following objectives: Learners will identify what transition-aged students are Learners ..read more

Were you flabbergasted when the CDC changed the guidelines for developmental milestones In February?  You weren’t alone. But it is important to look deeper at why these changes were made. The CDC was tasked with updating the milestones and making them less confusing for those who rely on them most -  parents. The milestones are still (mostly) the same, and they are backed by research, as we discuss with Dr. Kate Barlow in the episode. Kate is an ambassador for the CDC, and she talks to us about the milestones that are established for the first 5 years of a child's life. Kate describ ..read more

As OTPs we were taught that our profession was founded on providing a safe space for those who had a mental illness, and we were there to help them engage in occupations that were meaningful to them, yet we tend to forget the importance of this.  Today, we speak with Moni Keen to address her capstone research that addressed being an interprofessional team member and mental health in school-aged children. OTPs are often not seen as mental health providers, but we need to advocate and change that narrative.  Tune in to learn how we can advocate for mental health and how we can address ..read more

School-based OT practitioners are not handwriting teachers! However, handwriting is often the most common reason for referral. In our chat with Debra Collette, OTD, OTR/L, we are discussing a recent article where she surveyed teachers, administrators, and therapists on the missing pieces of handwriting in schools. Ten years ago, common core began to take over school standards, but the standards neglected to include handwriting. Tune in to learn how common core standards have impacted handwriting and how you can support students and teachers in implementing a handwriting curriculum.  Tune ..read more

Did you know that transitional services can be implemented even before a student gets to high school?  In this episode, we talk about how community-based instruction (CBI) can be implemented in the elementary school setting and how these children benefit greatly from starting early. Debbie Schwind discusses how she developed a campus-based CBI program for the students with just a coffee cart and how the program grew with the help of supportive teachers, staff, and administrators.  Tune in to learn the following objectives: Learners will identify what community-based instruction look ..read more

Have you ever thought about the shifts that have happened throughout the history of Occupational Therapy in the schools? Occupational therapy has been a part of the school systems since the ‘70s when legislation was enacted at the national level. In this episode of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, we will discuss several shifts in this field within the past 40 years. Our guest today is Julie Bissell, one of the occupational therapists who jumped into the schools early on to address the educational model in schools. Julie discusses transitioning from a medical model to an educational model and share ..read more