PEJE Diverse Learners CoP: Integrating Occupational Therapy Services into a Day School Setting

Transcription

1 PEJE Diverse Learners CoP: Integrating Occupational Therapy Services into a Day School Setting Facilitator: Donna Lupatkin Guests: Sue Schweber, Ilene Greenwald, Marcie Lipsey Gateways: Access to Jewish Education Boston, MA Date: January 14, 2008

2 Etiquette Remember to mute your phone by pressing *1. Press *1 again when you would like to speak. Do not use your phone HOLD or mute button. If you do, your music will be broadcast to all of us on the call.

3 Agenda Welcome and Introductions Today s Goals Warm-up Discussion Role of Occupational Therapist Background on Sensory Integration Suggested Two-year Implementation Process Next Steps

4 Introductions Our guests are from The Day School Program of Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, which enables children with special educational needs to attend and succeed in a day school environment provides on-site special education services that are beyond what the students day schools offer provides in-class and out of class assistance from our team members including: speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, reading and learning specialists, and inclusion aides assists teachers with curriculum modifications and provide teachers with professional development, including weekly coaching

5 Meet Our Guests Sue Schweber is the Gateways Day School Program Director. She is a certified and licensed speechlanguage pathologist. She received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, her M.S. in Speech- Language Pathology from Boston University, and her Certificate of Graduate Studies in Language Learning Disabilities from Emerson College. Her 30 years of experience have included working with preschool through adolescent age children in a variety of settings, consulting to teachers and parents, writing grants, and developing programs.

6 Ilene Greenwald is a registered and licensed occupational therapist who received both her B.S. in Occupational Therapy and her certificate of Advanced Professional Studies in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University. She has 18 years of experience working with preschoolers to adults in a variety of settings including private and public schools, rehabilitation hospitals, and pediatric clinics.

7 Marcie Lipsey is a registered and licensed occupational therapist who received her M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University, and a B.S. and M.Ed. in Deaf Education from Boston University. For the past 10 years, Marcie has worked in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, early intervention programs and schools. Marcie is a certified early intervention specialist. She is also certified by Sensory Integration International to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT).

8 Today s Goals Participants will understand: The OT s Role Sensory Integration A Two-year Implementation Approach

9 Warm-up Discussion Do you have OT services at your school? What are the benefits of having a specialized service, such as occupational therapy, take place at the day school? MJSD: None on staff, but we do have outside people to come in and work with students on site Beth Tfiloh: We have a private OT who comes in to meet with the students 2 times per week. Do they come into the classroom or do pull out? MJDS: They are contracted by family, not by school. The school provides the space. But school has arranged for someone to come in and provide training to the faculty, especially the kindergarten. Hebrew Academy: Same as above Hebrew Foundation School in Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec: We have two forms of support. One OT who comes in and does screenings and acts as a consultant for the teachers. We also have a private OT who comes in and works with the students, paid for by parents. Is there funding or does the school pay for that? How expensive is the therapy? MJDS, Beth Tfiloh & Hebrew Academy: The parent s pay. Hebrew Foundation School in Dollard Des Ormeaux: The school pays for services but the private OT is a parent s expense. Rochester, NY: It is paid for through the local school district. MJDS: We can get funding through local school district, but this does not cover on site service. In NY state- OTs need to come on site due to a law suit.

10 Role of Occupational Therapist

11 What is Occupational Therapy? The occupational therapist (OT) helps children successfully fulfill their role as students by facilitating their participation in academic and nonacademic areas including: Math, reading, writing Self help Social skills Recess, sports

12 Signs That a Child Needs OT Difficulty learning a new motor skill Poor organization and sequencing Poor writing Under or over reaction to touch or movement Poor eye-hand coordination

13 OTs and Teachers Collaborate Goals: to plan modifications or accommodations relevant to instructional activities to help facilitate the student s full participation in activities.

14 Benefits of Collaboration and In-class Work Provide the child with increased and authentic opportunities for practice Enable the teacher to see what the therapist does Enable the therapist to see what strategies will be feasible in the classroom Allow the teacher and therapist to work together to pick priorities and address problems

15 Sensory Integration: Critical to Classroom Performance

16 Definition of Sensory Integration The ability to take in, sort out, and connect information from the world around us. Is developed and/or enhanced by sensory experiences (including the hidden senses).

17 Sensory Integration: Affects Classroom Performance

18 Sensory Integration: Visual Perception

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20 OT Strategies in the Classroom Successful strategies for the classroom must: Be sustainable over time by the teacher Be feasible in the classroom Have a positive influence on all learners Fit within the framework of the teacher s beliefs about effective practices.

21 The Sensory Diet Sensory strategies benefit the entire classroom - All children need movement breaks. - Many children benefit from hand or mouth fidgets. - Some children need a more individualized sensory diet tailored to their needs.

22 Discussion Have you implemented a sensory diet at your school? Are there activities that you would not allow? (Example: gum chewing) Should you change the rules? MJDS: We allow children to chew gum. Some suck on hard candy. One child wears a bracelet that he can pull on because he has a need to pull on clothing. We created a menu of things the children can do during their sensory break. They can choose two activities, such as lifting weights or doing push ups. If a teacher notices that a child needs a break, the teacher will have the student the chart and they know what it means and have some time to go out and do the activities. Some faculty had issues with these ideas (gum chewing, etc.), but, they took the suggestion from the OT professionals. We give a strategy two weeks and hope to see improvement (or novelty wears off if student does not really need it) Some teachers are trying the therapy balls. Some are working with this approach wholeheartedly, while others are having difficulty adapting. Some teachers don t do this as it can affect their teaching styles, but others are able to use this. SSDS of Illinois: We provide cushions for students to sit on for movement while at their desks. We tried wheelbarrow walking. We use therabands (or bungee cords) under desks so students can push against the tension.

23 Suggested Two-year Implementation Process

24 Starting Points Ensure support from administration. Identify an interested teacher or small group of teachers. Focus on students receiving therapy. Carve out meeting time. Plan for teacher coaching or training.

25 Year One (May involve bridging to outside source.) Hold meetings to build collaboration Schedule additional meeting Develop a communication system Limit choice of strategies (1-2) Model/demonstrate strategies Follow up on plans Evaluate the success at the end of the year Determine model for next year Teacher/student focus

26 Year Two If possible, bring therapist to your school to deliver service. Expand to other teachers and students. Add in-class program or services delivered in the classroom.

27 Implementation Discussion Has anyone hired a therapist as a consultant to come to the schools? Gateways started so they could come in to treat and work with teachers. Comes to school to give in-service work for teachers and also does screening. SSDS- Does have someone who comes in. Also has a partnership with public school system. * Remember to continue relationship with OT and teacher. Need 2-3 weeks for the strategy to be in place.

28 Benefits Individual student success Improved performance for entire class Support for differentiation Strategies incorporated into teacher s best practices

29 Potential Challenges Scheduling Student services Meetings Maintaining strategies in a classroom once the focus child has moved to the next grade

30 Discussion What other challenges might you envision? SSDS- Who does the scheduling? Some may have an OT on site. Or, it may be an administrator or special needs coordinator. From Rochester- Do you see things improve as students move onto the next teacher? How to continue services throughout schooling. Certain strategies will benefit the child. Strategies that are needed year to year. As they grow and develop they take the strategies away. As a child develops and becomes more self aware, they may develop their own ideas. We should encourage their independence.

31 Next Steps

32 Contact our Guests Sue Schweber Ilene Greenwald Marcie Lipsey

33 Future Conference Calls February 11, Positive Behavioral Supports- Dr. Rona Novick from Hidden Sparks March 17, Second Language Development- Teaching Hebrew to the Diverse Learner-Measures and Evaluation-Dr. Scott Goldberg from Yeshiva University May 5, 2008-TBA June date and topic TBA Note: All of the calls will be on a Monday at 4:00 EST

34 We thank Hidden Sparks for their generous support of our CoP Stay tuned for information about the PEJE Assembly, Boston, April 6-8, 2008 (Hope to see you there!)