Occupational Therapy Services

Occupational therapists (OTs) are regulated health professionals who bring knowledge of motor skills (i.e., fine, gross and visual motor), sensory and perceptual development, and environmental accessibility into the school setting to support students. 

OTs support students in achieving independence and a sense of success with a range of activities and routines, including:

• Self-care, such as bathroom routines, putting on and removing outdoor clothing and footwear, clothing fasteners (i.e., snaps, zippers, buttons, shoelaces), opening and closing lunch containers and feeding themselves.
• Classroom and school routines, such as moving safely within the classroom or throughout the school, transitioning between activities or spaces within the classroom or school, organizing and locating school materials and participating in physical education, library and music.
• Engaging and completing school work, such as self-regulation with respect to focusing attention and starting work in a timely manner and expressing learning through drawing, printing, cursive writing and keyboarding.
• Participating in play and extra-curricular activities, such as engaging in play during recess and participating in intramurals or school clubs.
• Managing sensory demands, such as the sound of the bell and/or announcements, sounds and movement in busy corridors, an echo in the gym, lights and the feel of learning materials.
• Managing the physical environment, such as accessing spaces when using mobility aids (i.e., wheelchairs, walkers, etc.), appropriate classroom desk and chair heights, flexible seating options, lighting and visual organization for optimal learning spaces, and equipment for personal care and technical access (i.e., change tables, lift systems, switches for environmental controls or communication devices).

The School Therapy OT Program is a school-based program, funded through Health PEI, which offers OT services to children using a needs-based tiered model. The priorities of the program are to:

• use a strengths-based approach
• build knowledge capacity for health promotion and early intervention
• work collaboratively with students, families and school and student services staff to support students with the development of skills important to their learning, active participation, independence and overall well-being.

Individual student referrals are only accepted from schools, with parental consent, and concerns must be school-based. Individual student referral forms are available from the resource teachers at the primary and elementary schools, as well as through a branch-based consultant for exceptional circumstance referrals (grades 7-12).