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Let us know what's up Discover the transformative world of school-based occupational therapy with Taylor Pinson, an experienced OT working across all grade levels. Far beyond the common misconceptions of painful physical therapy, school OTs help students develop crucial skills for educational success through thoughtfully tailored interventions. Taylor demystifies how occupational therapy adapts across developmental stages - from foundational play and fine motor skills in preschoolers to cla...
Discover the transformative world of school-based occupational therapy with Taylor Pinson, an experienced OT working across all grade levels. Far beyond the common misconceptions of painful physical therapy, school OTs help students develop crucial skills for educational success through thoughtfully tailored interventions.
Taylor demystifies how occupational therapy adapts across developmental stages - from foundational play and fine motor skills in preschoolers to classroom tool mastery in elementary years, and finally to executive functioning and vocational preparation for teenagers. She explains how therapists create personalized "sensory profiles" to understand each student's unique regulatory needs, then develop customized "sensory diets" of activities and supports that help students maintain optimal regulation throughout their school day.
What truly distinguishes exceptional occupational therapy is the creativity and problem-solving involved. Taylor shares inspiring examples of ingenious adaptations that foster true independence - like modifying a Swiffer to help a student in a power wheelchair clean library tables independently, or creating a door-opening tool for a student who wanted to navigate hallways without waiting for assistance. These solutions embody the concept of "modified independence," allowing students to complete tasks autonomously with appropriate adaptations.
Perhaps most compelling is Taylor's pragmatic approach to preparing students for real-world success. Rather than expecting the world to change for students with disabilities, she equips them with practical strategies and adaptations that work within existing environments. She emphasizes making interventions accessible and affordable, often engineering solutions from everyday items instead of recommending expensive specialty equipment.
Whether you're a parent trying to understand your child's therapy, an educator collaborating with OT professionals, or someone curious about this multifaceted profession, this conversation illuminates how occupational therapy empowers students to engage fully in their education and develop skills for lifelong independence.
Join us as we dive into the world of special education with two educators who have walked the same path as many of you. In addition to teaching in self-contained and collaborative settings, our hosts bring a unique perspective to the challenges and triumphs of raising a special needs child. From classroom strategies to heartfelt family moments, they offer practical advice, empathy, and a community of support. Discover how their personal experiences can shed light on your journey and gain valuable insights into navigating the complexities of special education both in and out of the classroom. Welcome to the tribe!
Speaker 1: so at the time of
this recording, it is monday
evening, april 21st.
I'm very excited about this
week for three reasons, for
reasons thrice.
Number one one Thursday is the
NFL draft.
Number two we are one week
closer to the end of school, we
have five weeks left.
And number three is our guest
this evening.
Now, this is somebody who we've
had the privilege of working
with, I think, for the majority
of our time at our current
school, so it's probably been
what about four years-ish.
Speaker 3: Four years, is that
right?
Speaker 1: I think so, and so
she's one of those that.
So every once in a while, laura
and I will meet young ladies,
and it's like, man, I wish we
had another son, because I want
that kid in our family.
Speaker 3: And tonight's guest
is one of those.
Speaker 1: She's so much fun but
at the same time, has so much
to share a whole lot of
knowledge on the topic of
occupational therapy.
So now what I'm going to do is
I'm going to hand it over to my
better half and let her
introduce you, even though I
sort of already did.
Speaker 3: Well, it's like this
is becoming a trend and they're
going to think, oh, she just
says everybody's their friend,
but I mean, it's true.
So we forge these relationships
with these service providers
and parents and coworkers.
And so, once again, this is,
you know, started as a coworker.
Now consider a friend.
Speaker 2: It is the
occupational therapist and one
of the two three in the county
and one of the two three in the
county, two evaluating
occupational therapists, which
is me, and then another person
who's actually a friend of mine,
a true friend plus colleague,
and her name is Courtney Joseph.
And then we have oh, we
actually have Wendy Yoder.
She is an OT as well, and then
we have two occupational therapy
assistants.
So they basically do everything
we do, minus, I say, the
paperwork.
They were the smart ones.
True, they have their own set
of paperwork, for sure, but they
don't do the evaluations and
things.
That's all it is is a
difference in degree, but as far
as treating, they do the same
exact thing we do, and actually
both of them have been.
They're treating longer than me
, so they have even more
knowledge, probably, than me on
some things.
Speaker 3: And when she says me,
this is Taylor Pinson and, like
Jared said, we've had the
privilege of working with her
more this year, I think, than
any of the others Before.
We kind of saw you bop in and
out and now we get to see her
the majority of the week.
And she also works with Xander
at the high school and helping
him with learning his PIN number
and using his card, at helping
him learn how to use his card so
when we go places he can either
swipe or tap and know his PIN
number.
So she is everywhere in the
county, I think, and so that's
Taylor, and so that's Taylor.
Speaker 1: So occupational
therapy sounds kind of scary.
I think it's one of those
things where so here's a great
example.
So last week we had Miss Elion
talking about speech and even
that it's real easy to assume
things that just aren't true.
You know, you think you hear
speech and you think, ok, well,
that just has to do with talking
.
So we're going to teach them
how to talk good and.
But occupational therapy sounds
like sounds scary because it
sounds painful.
Whenever you think of therapy at
least me.
When I think of therapy, I
think of getting you know,
twisted and popped and like all
of those other things to try to
make your body work the way that
it's supposed to.
But what I have learned in our
time with Miss Taylor and others
like her is that that's not the
case, that occupational therapy
is something completely
different.
So what I think I'm going to do
right now is we'll turn it over
to you, the expert, ms Taylor,
and help us understand what
occupational therapy is.
Speaker 2: So I will say you
know, sometimes we are causing
pain.
We don't think we try to.
Probably more in the adult
world, I will say that one of
the beautiful things about
occupational therapy and why I
chose it as a profession, are
there is so much that we do Not
one occupational therapist is
doing the same exact thing as
another.
I have friends that work in the
school system in South Carolina
and they're like y'all do what?
Or you know.
Vice versa, we have a scope of
practice, of course, but friends
that work in the adult therapy
world are doing totally
different things.
One of my jobs is at the
hospital system here in Camden
as well, and I'm working with
adults after surgery or if
they've been sick, and I'm
helping get all the hospital bed
and getting back to go into the
bathroom on their own and
showering, and those are things
that we do with children.
But in the school system
specifically, we are helping
them develop the skills that
they need to fully participate
in their educational journey.
So, whether that's fine motor
skills for handwriting,
supporting the sensory
regulation so they can focus and
attend to their classwork,
working on independence and
self-care tasks, using classroom
tools, pencils, scissors, glue
sticks For older kids, it's
those vocational skills, like
you mentioned what we're doing
with Xander.
So, and then beyond that,
collaborating with the teachers
and the staff and then the
families to adapt things so that
these students, regardless of
their ability, have access to
learning that's meaningful for
them, Because I do think
everybody can participate with
the right support.
So occupational therapy is
essentially just one of those
supports among many that the
schools offer for students.
Speaker 1: I like the word
meaningful.
That's really good, because
what it does is it requires you
to actually take the time to
learn the student that you're
working with and all the things
that you set up to that
definitely support it, and
that's why you can talk to your
friends that do the same thing
and hear that they may be
occupational therapists, but
their methods in this particular
situation are different than
ones that you use.
Speaker 2: Because you're taking
the time to learn that student
and help provide them what they
need to have to have as
successful as life as possible
is much different than just
showing up and saying well, this
is what I do and I'm going to
run you through the ropes of
this, that and the other and not
take the time to find out what
it is that you really need to
excel in your life Right, and
that's really is the basis for
occupational therapy in general
professional doctorate and the.
You dive way more into like the
research and the background and
the profession than you do with
just my master's level program
and we talk about making sure
not only what we do as
therapists is evidence-based
right, because we don't want to
be doing something that has no
research behind it, but also is
meaningful to the client or
student or whoever you're
working with.
So we use that word meaningful
a lot and making sure for OT
it's holistic, it's not just
looking at one thing but looking
at the whole person.
For example, if we have a
student which we've talked about
before, who maybe is writing
essays is not going to be their
end goal in life, then we at a
certain point we're not going to
be working on writing five
paragraphs for school because
that would not be meaningful to
them.
And then that's when in high
school and middle school, we
transitioned to more of those
vocational tasks.
Speaker 3: Right and because if
they're not going to be doing
these tasks and that, like you
said, it's not meaningful, it's
not, and then we're just going
to meet frustrations and they
won't understand why we're
having them do that bit about
tailing those interventions for
their needs.
How does that go?
How does that work?
Going across like the different
grade levels, like from
preschool to high school?
Speaker 2: So I think the one
thing about occupational therapy
and our background is we do
have a lot of background
knowledge on those developmental
stages and progression.
You know a lot of our
coursework with our programs
focuses on that.
So knowing students where
they're at developmentally, as
opposed to just, oh, they're in
first grade.
They should be working on this
Because, as you all know, we
have a lot of first graders that
may be on paper or technically
working on preschool things on
paper or technically working on
preschool things, but we're
meeting them where they're at.
So for preschoolers I may focus
on like the foundational skills.
So fine, motor development,
play is so important.
You have to have this play
skills.
And then they carry over to the
other skills sensory processing
and even in preschool you're
still doing those like beginning
self-care routines.
So, like at school, that's
going to the other skills
sensory processing.
And even in preschool you're
still doing those.
Like beginning self-care
routines.
So, like at school, that's
going to the bathroom feeding
yourself at lunch.
Opening packages so I think we
open pack, work on opening
packages all the way up until
high school and then in
elementary school we shift more
towards like the stuff for
classroom success.
So handwriting, attention, tool
, use, you know, glue scissors
though I have some teachers that
say please don't use scissors,
they're scary.
Or parents that are like thanks
a lot, my kid came home and cut
their hair, they learned a new
skill.
Or, you know, I have the
parents that send me pictures of
their kid where they colored
all over their wall and they're
like but they wrote their name
and I'm like well, there you go
um.
So in elementary school I think
more of those classroom, that
classroom activities, and then
in middle and high school we're
moving towards executive
functioning organization.
I work on a lot with
consultatively helping the kids
just get back organized for that
time that I see them that month
.
So cleaning out their book bag,
helping them work on like a
folder system for keeping things
on their own.
Work on like a folder system
for keeping things on their own
because they are more
independent in those older
grades and they're expected to
keep their things organized on
their own.
Well, in elementary school your
teacher is going to put it in
the folder for you and take it
out for you um, and then working
on the vocational tasks, job
readiness for those kids,
especially for the kids who are
staying up until in Georgia you
can stay until your 22nd
birthday so making sure that
they work on skills that they're
going to do once they age out
of school.
And then the independent living
skills.
So, like you said for Xander,
we were working on the debit
card thing.
Y'all did have to go and move
this year so we had to re-warn
his new address after he got his
old address down.
Pat, um, but working on.
I have a student that their job
at the high school is working
with the janitors, so we worked
on skills that he could use when
, as that was his like, one of
his blocks in his school day was
that or um.
I have a story that I was going
to mention later and one of her
blocks in her school day is
working in the library and
keeping the library clean, so
working on those kind of skills
and you talked a little bit or
you mentioned, when you were
talking about how you do the
interventions and some of the
things that you help these
students with.
Speaker 3: And one of the things
you discussed was the sensory
processing challenges which, and
I have to be honest, until we
had a shared student with a
co-lab teacher this year and
they suggested maybe we see
about OT, maybe they can help
you know, maybe Ms Taylor can
help you know, with some of that
emotional regulation.
I didn't know that that was
part of your job, but can you
talk to us about.
So what are some strategies
that you use as an occupational
therapist to help these students
that have these sensory
processing challenges, help them
regulate their emotions and
improve their behaviors in the
school setting?
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I will say
the emotional regulation thing
goes back to us as occupational
therapists being.
You know, know, we have to
advocate for our services.
So, um, occupational therapy we
talked about the definition
occupations are anything that
you do in your daily life.
So obviously you're you.
Both of your jobs are your
occupation.
That you go to and you get paid
for is being a teacher, um, but
your occupations are also
parents.
Speaker 1: And therapists and a
secretary and what else.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all those
things.
But so occupations for children
is going to school, so anything
that falls under that umbrella
of them being able to
participate in school because
that is one of their jobs every
day, right, is going to school.
So with that, you have to have
the emotional regulation skills
to participate.
So you have to understand
everybody's like unique.
We call it a sensory profile or
they're the things that they
need more of, less of.
As far there's so many areas of
sensory and then you kind of go
from there.
So sensory is such a big
buzzword these days I think it
became like a hot topic and then
everyone's like, oh, let me get
this sensory.
I feel like it started with the
fidget spinners and I'm like,
just because a kid has autism
doesn't necessarily mean they
need a fidget spinner, right,
because that's not in their
sensory profile.
For example, I keep using
Xander xander because you know
it's compliant with purpose,
right?
Um, but xander's so chill,
right, at least he is.
Now I know that that wasn't
always the case right so he
doesn't necessarily need the
heavy pressure or crash pad
before he participates in OT
that day or even in just in
school, because he that's, his
sensory profile is already there
.
So but you can use for these
children who are dysregulated in
the sense of needing more
movement.
We do use movement breaks.
So I have the trampolines, we
have the swing in our sensory
room.
You guys have different things
For a kid whose sensory profile
might include that they're very
they're auditory, very sensitive
to auditory input so they're
using the noise canceling
headphones.
Some of their accommodations on
their IEP might include testing
in a quiet room, things like
that.
You're not going to play really
loud music for those kids
because that's going to upset
them or get them dysregulated.
Visual supports for the
movement breaks being able to
make that choice and choose to
have a movement break is always
good.
I think it's good also for
teachers and therapists and it's
something I strive to work on.
More is making helping the
children become more independent
and understanding where they're
at sensory wise.
So as best as we can, teaching
them the tools to tell us what
they need.
As far as it's called, so then
once you get your sensory
profile, it's called a sensory
diet.
So it's the things that they
need to help them stay regulated
.
In particular to them has
nothing to do with like a diet
of food you actually eat, but it
might right For a kid who likes
to chew on the end of their
pencils which isn't the best
choice then you might give them
Twizzlers or something else
chewy.
That's like a more appropriate
thing to eat or chew on than a
wooden pencil or picking at
their skin or something like
that.
I recently actually had a para
that we work with at the school.
She works with a general
education student but she had
asked me for some strategies.
He was picking at his skin a
lot and hurt I mean hurting
himself, but it was as she could
tell he was.
It was during times of like
nervous things, like during
testing and stuff like that.
So she asked me for strategies
and I saw a good idea of like
the little Velcro dots and you
put them on the table I know you
guys have like the little bumpy
stickers on your tables but and
you pull off the Velcro dots
and maybe putting him five or
six on his desk so he can pull
those off instead of pulling out
his skin.
So sometimes it's something just
as simple as that.
And then that way he's in
charge of that right.
He has to put them back, he can
ask for them, but then it's
helping him with, you know, his
one particular sensory thing.
But that wasn't necessarily.
I just try to tell people, just
because it says sensory doesn't
mean it's necessarily going to
work for everyone.
Speaker 1: Well, you know,
somebody was sitting in their
office one day and and realize
some business person realized oh
, wow, yeah, that word is
everywhere.
So what can we stick it to?
To upcharge people for stuff.
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1: Congratulations, you
won.
Speaker 2: And then listen.
It's a great tool to, like you
know, start with when you're
searching for parents and stuff.
But I just tell them sometimes
just to ask if that's even
something they need, because I
have found where you give kids a
fidget and then they're more
distracted by the fidget you
know.
So then it's not helping for
what you need.
So you have to find something
again that's meaningful to the
student and also for the teacher
so they don't drive you crazy,
cause I know some of the
suggestions we make.
Sometimes I get the looks from
teachers that are like you're
kidding me, right.
Speaker 1: I always follow with.
I need you to explain that to
me because I know you know more
about this than I do, so help me
right, I always follow with.
I need you to explain that to
me because I know you know more
about this than I do, so help me
understand.
Speaker 3: So, talking about the
paraprofessional that came to
you and you know that you
collaborated with to help this
student, is there other, any
other instances that you can
think of anything that stands
out when you've collaborated
with teachers to help a student
succeed in the classroom?
And you don't just work with
the students in our classrooms,
You're also working with
students that are primarily in
the general education classroom
as well primarily in the general
education classroom as well.
And so teachers might say well
hey, I can't have a trampoline
in my room, so what are some
strategies?
Speaker 2: that you have
collaborated with classroom
teachers.
So I do think that I think a
school occupational therapist
end goal should be if the
student were going to age or we
say age out or not receive
services anymore is to be able
to integrate these skills and
tools and interventions that we
suggest into their daily school
routine.
Right, because then even though
they might be getting less
services, but then they're using
the services more throughout
their day, which I think should
be our end goal.
So I think a lot you know
everybody has to work on it more
but collaborating with these
general ed teachers and, like
you said, now you can have the
trampoline in.
But maybe we made movement
break cards where we've taught
the student to be independent
enough that a pair or somebody
can walk with them to the
sensory room and he can use that
and then he can come back.
So she can't have it in her
room, but the student has become
independent enough that he
knows when to ask for it and
then he can go use it and then
he can come back and continue
his school day as normal.
Continue his school day as
normal.
A particular story that I had
recently that I really liked was
the high school student I was
saying, she had a job in the
library, so for that block of
her day her teachers quote,
quote were the librarians.
And then she did have a
paraprofessional with her and
she is in a power wheelchair, so
she was having a hard time
wiping.
One of her job duties for that
class was wiping the library
tables.
On a power wheelchair, when the
chairs are all pushed in it's
very hard to access the middle
of the table.
And so we, the librarians and
the para and I, collaborated
together and we decided we tried
a Swiffer that has a long
handle and we put the white, the
Clorox wipes or Lysol wipes
that she was using, showed her
how to put those on the Swiffer,
and then she used that.
So then she wasn't.
It was easier for her because
she wasn't having to move her
chair.
She wasn't having to, para
wasn't having to move the chairs
out from the table so she can
move her power wheelchair up to
the table.
So she became more independent,
right, because she no longer
needed Para's assistance.
And then it was easier for her
and I am all about working
smarter, not harder for her, and
I am all about working smarter,
not harder.
Um, and then she you know we
still work, accomplishing her
goal of what the librarians
wanted from her, which was
that's what they wanted her to
do for her academic thing there.
As far as collaborating, I know
for you guys we collaborate all
the time.
I see, like you said, we see
each other all the time Since I
convinced our principal to put
my lovely room right there.
But you know, working on things
that like, if I'm using a
special kind of paper or
adaptive writing tool, like
we're getting a grip or
something, making sure that I'm
suggesting something that is
easy access, right, that I'm
suggesting something that is
easy access right I have as an
OT.
I have all the fancy stuff and I
access to it through the school
or through my own self because
I've bought it over the years.
But it doesn't do any good to
suggest something that the kid's
not going to have access to
throughout their whole school
day.
Right Right, I can use the
fancy things in my session and
that's great, but it doesn't do
the kid any good if it's
something that they can't use
all the time.
So I do try to, when
collaborating, making sure that
we make it practical too,
because I think that the age of
social media, we see all these
like awesome, elaborate things
but, as we all know, funds are
limited.
Speaker 3: Well, half the time
they don't like those expensive
things.
Speaker 2: Right, yes, yes, and
not only funds limited for us,
right, cause I know you guys
personally and I know the team
that you work with and they all
go above and beyond and buy what
the students need if they, if
we think they need it, sometimes
out of our own pockets, which
makes the team great.
But, um, also for the parents,
right?
I?
I also do outpatient therapy
and I have learned over the
years that a lot of people don't
have again the funds and the
things.
And would it be amazing to have
a whole sensory room in these
in their houses?
Yeah, but that's not feasible,
right?
So I've, instead of crash pads,
I've made suggestions for
pulling the couch cushions off
your couch and you do that for
your.
You know your your crash on
each one and then you put the
puzzle pieces in and that's what
you do before bath time or
something to regulate, so you're
not having to buy the $500
crash pad.
But most people have a couch or
something like that, right?
So making suggestions that
parents, teachers, other people
in the school can do across the
board, instead of just things
that look and sound fabulous
things that look and sound
fabulous.
Speaker 3: Because anytime you
add, you know, for students with
disabilities or for special
needs or adaptive tools, anytime
you add that it seems to add
the dollar signs.
You know we get these catalogs
and say, well, this is in this.
You know this catalog for
children with special needs and
it's $200, but this on Amazon is
very similar and it's half the
price.
And so you know.
I think that that's a good
thing for educators and parents
alike that they need to be to
research it.
Don't just go because it says
it's for children with autism or
children with special needs or
people with sensory processing
disorders.
They really need to look and
see if they can find things that
are similar but not necessarily
labeled as such, to help them
save a few dollars save, save a
few dollars, right, and that's
where your other to add to your
roles, your occupation.
Speaker 2: You know, I think we
we've become engineers sometimes
, right, we've like I've rigged
up some things.
Um, before where you know, I
had a student that it was really
meaningful to him, another
student in a wheelchair.
I feel like that's where we
really do the like cool tool
stuff.
Sometimes it's like older high
school kids and it was
meaningful to him to be able to
open the door by himself.
Um, and so in the school day,
because he didn't want to have
to.
He wanted to zoom through the
halls, so he didn't want to have
to wait for his pair to catch
up.
Um, and so I adapted one of
those like reachers that we tend
to usually only use with older
people.
I put a little hook on the end
instead, and so then he could
hook it, the handle, and open
the door by himself.
So, but if I would have found
that on the internet, it
probably would have cost lots of
money.
Speaker 1: Oh sure, so I would
like to just highlight something
really quick, because you've
made this point in every one of
your stories, and I think it's
very important for all of us as
listeners to keep in mind what
it is that you're doing.
That you're doing when you
started talking about the
student that cleans the tables
in the library, she couldn't get
it done the way that she was
doing it.
What you did not do is just say
, oh well, she can't do it,
let's find another job.
You helped find a way to help
her be successful.
The student opening the door
well, we're just going to have
to make sure that they put the
buttons in that when you push it
, it opens the door for you.
Because we know this and it's
hard to have conversations with
parents Parents love their kids,
but the world is not going to
change for them.
So it is our job as the IEP
team looking specifically in
schools, to do everything we can
to position our children for
success, not make the world Now
would it be great if the world
could just accept every
disability from the standpoint
of saying we can change
everything to make it easier for
everybody.
Well, sure, but again, it's not
happening.
And so what you're doing and
what your co-workers do is let's
find ways to make the student
successful instead of teaching
them to expect the world to
change around them.
Speaker 3: Well, not only
successful, successful, but to
do it successfully and
independently.
Speaker 1: Independently.
Yes.
Speaker 3: Independently,
because one student in the
library could be successful if
the para moved the chairs.
Speaker 1: Well, that's true.
Speaker 3: They could still be
successful, but fostering that
independence is huge.
Like you said, the other
student didn't want to have to
wait for anybody, he wanted to
do it himself.
Our kids want to do things
themselves.
Now are they going to let us do
things for them?
Speaker 1: Absolutely.
Speaker 3: Yes, and if we keep
doing it for them, they're going
to keep letting us do it for
them.
However, you know, as they grow
, they do want that independence
and that was one of the things
I picked up when, Taylor, you
were sharing a lot of your
things.
Is that fostering that
independence?
And to be successful?
Speaker 2: And we use the term
in occupational therapy when
creating our goals.
Sometimes IEP goals are worded
a little bit differently, but I
use it a lot, especially with my
outpatient goal making in the
inpatient acute care.
We call it modified
independence.
So they're still doing it
independently but it's modified
to them because, for example,
going patient will take a shower
by herself without falling.
That's independently.
You know, that's the goal,
that's independence.
Right, I could still take a
shower by myself without falling
, but in order to do that I have
to have a shower chair that I
can go in and sit in so then
that's made it modified
independent.
So we use that in our goal that
way, if anyone ever says, well,
technically they didn't do it
independently, so I like that
the modified independence, um,
which is what a lot of our
students are doing.
Right, we've the iep team.
That's what the iep right,
you're creating goals because
the end is modified independence
.
I mean, we're modifying their
educational plan so that they
can be successful and, with the
teachers and the therapists and
everything, we're making sure
that they can have what they
need to be successful and
successful and independent.
I think you know, go hand in
hand as far as the school system
goes.
And then we're also making sure
that, like you said, the world
isn't going to change for them.
But you know, I do like a
little bit of forced inclusion
sometimes, right, you know who
you're talking to.
If we give, if we set the
student up with the tools that
they need, then when they go
into the general education
setting, then we're not having,
you know, some of the teachers
who don't have a special
education things.
I'm not saying that they're not
great teachers, but they don't
have you know resources, that we
all do.
But if you send the student with
the tools, then there's that
forced inclusion.
It's like, well, you can take
them now because we have them
set up for what they need.
Um, so it helps that teacher
and it helps the student and it
helps us because it helps us
with our goal of because you
know we would like inclusion
everywhere.
Right, I know that doesn't
always exist and then, but if
you give them the tools, then
you can right.
Speaker 1: So All right, so
check this out.
Ms Taylor, we're going to wrap
up this time together.
Okay this out.
Miss taylor, we're gonna wrap
up this time together, okay, so
let's say that this is the last
time that you get to speak to
somebody concerning ot.
Okay, this is, this is your one
shot.
This is what you want them to
to live with for the rest of
their life.
Never forget because, like,
maybe you're gonna win the
lottery and go live on an island
somewhere and nobody ever hears
from you again, because that's
what we do when we win the
lottery.
Speaker 3: She is leaving us.
Speaker 1: I'm not getting into
all that.
What is that one message that
you would want our parents,
teachers, students to hear?
Speaker 2: our parents, teachers
, students to hear.
I think that occupational
therapists in the school's job
is to empower students to be as
independent and as engaged as
possible in their day-to-day
school life, and we do that by
balancing these direct services
and then the consultative
services and looking at their
IEP goals and determining where
our services would benefit the
student the most.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so
much.
It's been fun having you hang
out with us.
That was a great answer.
I'd have been like um, so be
nice to each other.
Yours was way better.
Yeah, all right.
Well, taylor, again thank you
for hanging out with us and chit
chatting for a little bit.
Uh, we're going to go ahead and
wrap this up and we'll see you
tomorrow.
Speaker 2: Tomorrow.
All right, I'll be there, all
right tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Tomorrow.
All right, I'll be there, all
right, thank you.
Speaker 2: Have a good night.