The Impact of Therapy on Student Success

Show Notes

Let us know what's up

Can mastering the intricacies of school-based therapy unlock the potential of students with disabilities? Join us as we celebrate Edwin Hubble's legacy and explore the vital services available for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Discover how occupational and physical therapy can transform the educational journey for students with disabilities, enabling them to overcome challenges and excel academically. Through personal stories and expert insights, we shed light on the essential role of related services in tackling comorbid conditions and breaking down communication barriers that often lead to frustration and behavioral issues. 

In this episode, we break down misconceptions surrounding occupational therapy, illustrating its impact on developing fine motor skills critical for daily school tasks. Discover how physical therapy not only supports peer participation but also lays the groundwork for future employment opportunities. We dive into the unique challenges posed by vision and hearing impairments and the need for proactive parental advocacy to ensure students receive the support they need. From Adaptive Physical Education to Applied Behavior Analysis, we cover a spectrum of educational supports that can empower students with disabilities to thrive in their learning environments. Tune in to understand how a collaborative approach can make a world of difference in the lives of these students.

Support the show

★ Support this podcast ★

What is Life in the IEP Tribe?

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, on the date of
this recording, it is edwin

hubble's birthday.

Do you know who edwin hubble is
?

Speaker 2: is he the hubble
telescope guy?

Speaker 1: I was pretty sure he
created hubble bubble chewing

gum hubba bubba okay, I was
close.

So today's conversation we are
going to talk about the

different kind of services that
are accessible I think that's

the right word Accessible for
students that have an IEP, and

it's kind of shocking to think
about all that is that is

offered for students.

So we talked a handful of weeks
ago about FAPE, or the Free and

Appropriate Public Education
Act, and or not act for an

appropriate public education,
public education Paper.

Yeah, anyway, so, in the best
interest of the students, trying

to provide everything that can
be provided for them, schools,

school districts, offer these
different services, and so we're

going to take just a moment and
discuss some of these services.

We're going to take just a
moment and discuss some of these

services and, uh, but, laura,
can you give me like, can you

tell us briefly, why would these
extra services be provided?

Like, what is, what is this?

I mean, I understand the whole
um supplying a free and

appropriate public education,
but when we start talking about

things like physical therapy and
occupational therapy and all of

that, why is that lumped in
there?

Speaker 2: Well, a lot of times
individuals with disabilities

have comorbid conditions or
comorbid disabilities that are

in addition to or go alongside
with their condition or their

disability, that can impact
different areas of their

development.

Just because somebody has one
disability doesn't mean that it

encompasses that.

You know, having an IEP and
working on academic goals is

going to allow them to make the
progress necessary to be

successful.

So a lot of times you have to
have some related services that

go along with that, and
sometimes we have.

We see a lot of times in our
students with disabilities.

They have fine motor delays.

They're behind on how to hold a
pencil, how to cut, how to pull

their pants back up.

There's things that we use our
fingers for.

A lot of times our students have
speech and language delays.

We talked, I think, a little
bit about the expressive and

receptive language delays and
they need someone to come

alongside them.

We need someone to come
alongside us to help us with our

students.

Sometimes it can impact our
students.

Sometimes it can impact our
students that their disabilities

can impact them in a physical
manner.

Sometimes it's behaviors that
come along with the conditions

that they have or the
disabilities that they have, and

sometimes these behaviors can
be part of not having these

other functional skills.

There's other medical
conditions that will come along,

that are vision difficulties,
some hearing impairments or

deafness, and so there's just a
slew of things that can go along

with a disability, and
oftentimes it's not just one

thing that you are that we're
working with when we work with

our students.

Speaker 1: And you know, I know,
we've seen it multiple times

too where the maybe the deficits
in some of these areas, whether

it be speech or more of a
physical impairment, that it

causes this extra frustration.

Speaker 2: Yes.

Speaker 1: You know, one of the
things to consider is, you know

we talk about our students that
have speech services, and so for

some it's you know they'll work
on articulation and things of

that manner.

But then sometimes we've got
students that can't speak,

they're nonverbal, for the most
part, can't say anything, so

they learn how to use devices
and sign language and things

like that to be able to
communicate, because it's I mean

, just I know that we've had the
privilege of going over to um,

going over to ethiopia I know
weird segue, but stay with me

and one of the things that kind
of like really hits you in the

face when you're standing in the
middle of their capital city is

that there's nobody around you
that can understand what you're

saying.

Like if you needed to talk to
somebody and you needed help or

you needed direction, you would
have to be as creative as

possible to help them understand
what it is that you're saying

and then, in return, be able to
understand their response.

And and so I know that that
when we stand in a place like

that, it's it's kind of um,
overwhelming, it's, it's it's uh

, somewhat can make the anxiety
kind of flare up a little.

So now let's put ourselves in
in the place of one of our

students that is already
struggling academically.

But they can't verbalize what
it is that's going on, that's

going on in their mind, that's
going on in the way that they

feel, and so that just brings on
a whole bunch of frustration.

And if I don't have a healthy
way to express what's going on

inside of me, it's got to come
out in the form of behavior.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: And so, and that's
just I mean, that's just one

small piece of the puzzle Then
to consider, you know, if

there's, if a child has a
certain physical restriction or,

along with that, whether it's
hearing or vision, or you know

if there's, if a child has a
certain physical restriction or,

along with that, whether it's
hearing or vision, or there's

added, there's added stress
that's going to Prohibit them

from engaging in their school
materials and assessments and to

be able to engage with what it
is that they're being asked to

do.

And then, like you, add all this
on top of it and it's just

incredibly frustrating, I'm sure
, for those students.

So let's talk just a little bit
about what are some of those

services that are out there.

That, because I got to tell you
I, you know, I, when xander was

small, before we even got into
all the sped world ourselves, um

, it was one of those, like I'd
show up to a meeting and and

they'd have to tell me well,
here's, here's what he needs and

it's like, okay, well, yeah,
that this is what y'all do, this

is your world, but would have
never guessed that there were so

many different supports out
there, and so what we do know is

that, again talking about FAPE,
that the government has set

forward to say, all right, to
give these students the best

shot possible, here are some
other services that we're going

to put out there so that they
can engage, so they can engage

at their highest potential with
whatever materials are given to

them.

So what are some of those?

We already talked about speech
a little bit, but what are some

of the other ones?

Speaker 2: right.

Well, you know, touching on that
speech and um therapy, that um,

I think that's probably the
most common, that almost most

individuals that have an iep
that are in like our setting and

then more of the small group
adapt curriculum, they're going

to have that speech therapy, um,
and you also have students that

have an IEP only for speech.

You have students that have
IEPs just for academics, but

when I think one of the most
prevalent provider or additional

services is is speech, and you
talked about articulation, and I

think a lot of times when
they're and I'm sure we'll learn

a little more about this in the
future episodes but they work

on the things that the students
need to be successful and

sometimes articulation isn't one
of the first things that they

work on, because if they can
understand the child enough,

they're.

It's like oh no, we got to
focus on some of these other

things, which that was one of
the things I found.

That was interesting when I
first started in the school

system is that's what I thought
speech did.

Well, they taught you how to
talk, right.

Speaker 1: Makes sense.

Speaker 2: Right.

But no, they work on a variety
of skills and whether it's just

having conversations, teaching
the children how to say good

morning and how to play
cooperatively sometimes and

those things positional words,
verbs and nouns, I mean all

sorts of things.

So it's not just they're going
here to learn how to talk, it's

really an encompassing
communication.

Then, another service that a
lot of our students are

qualified for is occupational
therapy.

I think we touched on this a
little bit in one of our other

episodes, because people think,
well, occupational therapy,

that's the therapy that you get
for doing jobs or skills, and

well, in the school setting,
that school is our kids' jobs,

and so the occupational
therapist will come in and work

on those fine motor skills to
help them be able to do the

things needed in school.

Now are there outside
occupational therapy, of course,

and they can work.

They'll work more on the
everyday living tasks, but in

the school setting it's more
making sure that they can hold

their pencil, making sure they
can use scissors or use a glue

stick, and then, you know,
making sure that they're not

writing their letters all
different sizes, and so that's

what the occupational therapy
provides, and you want me to

keep going.

Speaker 1: Sure, well, or I can
say this like so I know that we

we've been able to work with
some really cool occupational

therapists over the years, but
the one that we get to work with

now is really cool because,
like so, over the summer, my dog

bit my finger off well, not my
whole finger, but the top third

of it and it was gross it was.

It was like hanging there by
skin and anyway.

So yeah, I know it was a it was
a crazy experience but it was

really great to be able to go to
her after, you know, talking to

the doctors and all and just
simple things that she was able

to share with with me about how
to help work in my finger back

into where I can use it, Because
I mean, the finger was stiff,

as could be, because it was all
wrapped up for so long that it

was just like I had this
perpetual middle finger.

And I'm surprised I didn't get
yelled at more things thrown at

me because it was just like
always sticking up and I wasn't

doing it on purpose, I promise
um but her understanding of how,

like the joints and, oh, I hit
my microphone but her

understanding of how you know
the joints and the fingers work

and all that, and to be able to
give me some some direction on

how to get where I can use my
hands.

So now you know, take that same
concept into for a student that

you know may have more struggle
than just they got the top of

their finger bit off right.

Some like real developmental
issues that.

So now again, kind of like we
did with the whole I was talking

about the whole Ethiopia thing
take a kid and put them in a

classroom and ask them to write
a sentence.

Well, one.

Most kids don't want to write
sentences, right?

I don't like writing sentences.

I'm 47 years old and I don't
like writing sentences, but I

just don't like it.

It's not that I can't do it.

So now you know, again, put
yourself in the place of one of

these kids that they go to
school, there's academic

requirements, but I can't hold a
pencil right.

So how in the world am I going
to be able to spend any of my

time focusing in on what you're
trying to teach me when I can't?

I can't write it Right, and so,
again, that's another place

where one of these services
steps in to help give this

platform for the child to, for
the student to be able to engage

more in their education.

So what else we got?

Speaker 2: Physical therapy.

Yep, I don else.

We got Physical therapy.

Speaker 1: Yep, I don't know
anything about that one.

Speaker 2: No.

Speaker 1: Nope, other than it's
therapy and it's physical Right

.

Speaker 2: Does that make you
think of?

Speaker 1: that song?

What was it?

Let's get physical.

Speaker 2: Sorry, it's okay.

Anyways, I have the voice of an
angel.

Speaker 1: So now I know a
little bit about physical

therapy.

So remember again we're talking
about, like all school based

Right.

So there is a big difference and
in the near future we're going

to have people on to that know
that understand this stuff way

better than I do anyway.

I do anyway.

But the physical therapy in a
school, setting the purpose

behind it or the point is to
help the child to participate,

or the student to participate in
what's going on.

So if we can give this extra
physical therapy, the hope is

that in turn, that student will
be able to engage in the same

things that his typically
developing peers engage in,

right?

So, given that extra step, that
extra, that extra push so that

they can experience To the
fullest extent the same thing

that their friends are
experiencing.

So friends are experiencing so.

So with that, with the physical
education, it can again, it can

work on our physical education.

That's PE Physical therapy.

What it does, is it?

It helps them to not only go
further in their schooling, but

then there is consideration for
future employment, right?

So it's all of these things
build on each other, right, for

the betterment of the child.

Because it's not.

You know, people don't?

I don't know that anybody would
ever say or agree to the idea

that.

You know, let's just get our
kids in school until they age

out, and then you know who cares
.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: Just stick them in a
room somewhere or whatever, but

the idea is not any different
for students with disabilities

than those that are, again, the
typically developing.

The school is to help children
not only just learn things, not

just learn math and reading and
all of that, but learn how to

interact with people, learn how
to be in a community, learn how

to have a conversation right.

All of these things are a part
of school educational

development for people and the
whole idea behind it is so that

once you have finished this time
here, go be a contributing

member to society, go and give
back to the place, the area that

you live in, and the students
with disability world, the

special education world, is not
any different.

We still work to help these
children be who they can be, to

be a contributing member in the
society that they live in, and

so when it comes to the physical
therapy during the course of

their school career, it might
allow them to get a job at some

other position or at some other
place after school, simply

because now they have another
job, they have another ability

they can bring to the table.

And so now I can I can bend over
and pick this up, or I can move

from this point to this point
stable, right, and so then it's

just another, like I said,
another thing that they can

bring to the table and finding
employment and contributing to

something bigger than themselves
.

Speaker 2: I know you had
touched on also about like

communities and you'd say to one
another one of our episodes

that you know, when the
Individuals, they grow up and

they become adults and they
depending on what their

caregivers plan for them, is, if
they, if, if the desire is for

them to move out and go to a
community setting, the more

skills that they have and the
more adaptive skills they have,

the more they can do for
themselves, the better chances

of them being accepted into
these different communities or

living facilities, and so, like
you said it is, it's that

continuum there.

You have to look at them.

Even those pre-K and
kindergarten, even babies, can't

wait.

Is that it's all trying to
prepare them for that

post-secondary life?

Speaker 1: well, and we found
too that in a lot of our

research and looking for things
for the you know, future,

possible future for xander is
that it's very similar to to

students that are start applying
to colleges and the more things

that you can have on that
resume when you apply to a

college, the better chance you
have of being accepted into that

college, right?

So, if you know, if I apply to I
don't know Harvard and I have a

do they still have D's in
school now, a D average or

whatever right I have not
positioned myself very well for

that right.

I've not taken the time.

If I haven't done
extracurriculars, if I haven't

done all this other stuff been
involved in different groups and

different programs and
different this and different

that if I haven't done things
that catch the eye of the

decision makers at that
educational setting, I'm not

going to be accepted.

Well, we found that when it
comes to students with

disabilities, that the more they
can bring to the table, the

better chance they have of being
accepted into these different

areas, because what they don't
want is this is you know, you

don't want to push somebody into
an environment that they cannot

, that they cannot function,
they cannot um function function

or even thrive.

Thrive, that's the word, thank
you very much.

That they can't thrive and
because?

Then it just adds to the
frustration, right for them.

It adds to the frustration of
the people that are running the

program and it'll take away from
what they can do.

For the ones that can thrive,
right.

Never suggesting that anybody's
less valuable.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: But there are.

There are opportunities out
there for everybody, of every

different.

Speaker 2: Ability yeah.

Speaker 1: And so, and so, to
take the time now, as you say

quite often, do all the hard
work up front.

It better prepares those
students for those options down

the road.

Speaker 2: It's true.

Speaker 1: I know I said it.

That's all I do is say true
things Sometimes.

So what do we talk about?

We talked about OTPT speech,
what else?

Speaker 2: what else is there?

Speaker 1: what else yeah?

So there also is there's vision
therapy now that I really don't

know anything about and I think
I'm fairly new to this too.

Speaker 2: It was Andrew's
teacher last year and the year

before she left the classroom to
fulfill this spot, which

apparently is definitely needed
in the county.

But oddly enough it isn't
always offered.

Offered it can kind of go state
by state.

Um, some states say it's a
medical service and so it's not

covered under idea.

Um, other states do offer it
but what it does is it helps.

Um, the vision therapists will
come in and they'll work with

the students and try to help
retrain their brain so they

understand and process that
visual information more

effectively and efficiently.

And so you know, through
different activities and

different exercises they work
with them to be able to help

them understand what it is
they're seeing.

Speaker 1: And I think that's a
really important thing to

identify issues.

It's not about just having poor
vision, like I know.

We've been, again fortunate
enough to hang around a lot of

people that know a lot of things
that we don't.

Again, fortunate enough to hang
around a lot of people, I know

a lot of things that we don't,
and, for instance, we've talked

about how myself, when I'm
reading a book, or if I'm

reading something online that my
, for whatever reason, my eyes

are like drawn to the space
between the sentences, right,

and then I have to I end up
reading the same line over and

over and, you know, kind of lose
my place.

I have to I end up reading the
same line over and over and, you

know, kind of lose my place.

And so now I'm using all this
time to try to figure out what

I'm reading that I'm not
spending a whole lot of time

comprehending what I'm reading,
so I have to keep going over it

over and over and over again.

Vision would assist in not
necessarily just being able to

see, but that communication that
takes place from whatever it is

that the student's looking at,
to processing it in their mind

right, seeing what's there and
then, at the same time, being

able to walk down that path of I
see this, I understand it as

this comprehending what it is
that I see in the moving on from

there, versus spending that
extra energy trying to say I

don't decode or stay focused on
the line or whatever other

things might get in the way of
of being able to really

understand what it is that
you're seeing, right, and so

that's important to keep in mind
as well.

And we know that there's
hearing services and those can

range from like I know I've seen
situations where it was there's

a little bit of time that
someone would come in and work

with making sure that the child
is taking care of their hearing

aids properly and that they're
staying clean and functional and

you know, adding support that
way.

And then there's other areas
where there's more sitting and

working with the student.

Do you have anything to add to
that?

Speaker 2: No, I don't think so.

Speaker 1: Just like you said,
they come in and they, whether

it be just partial hearing loss
or complete hearing loss, and so

there seems like there's a
whole range of help that can be

given there, and I know we've
also seen where the the county

will go out and find people that
that know sign language, that

can speak to those that are deaf
or hard of hearing, that that

know how to sign um, and so the
reason we bring all this up in

in this manner is it's important
to know that.

I think when you have a law
like idea right, it can be

interpreted in many different
ways, and so I think that what

it is we in sharing this
information, what we want to put

out there, is it.

If you think your kid needs it
and you don't know if it's there

, ask questions.

Definitely find out Right, dig,
push, talk to your, your kid's

teacher, talk to anybody that is
involved in in that world.

And, hey, is there something
that can be done about this?

I see this taking place in my
kid's life.

I see this that I think might
be a hangup.

Is there something out there
that can help them work through

this particular issue?

Um, because if you don't,
there's a good chance that it

may not happen, and it's not
necessarily anybody's fault.

It's not a matter of people just
trying to not provide services

for kids.

Is that?

There's a lot out there.

I mean, there's a lot of kids
out there that need special

education services, right?

We know that, like we've said
before at the national level,

that 15% of our public school
students are being served with

an IEP.

Some may just be speech, like
you said earlier, some may focus

more on academic, but not all
of them.

So there's a lot out there and
it's easy for students to kind

of fall under the radar.

So there's nothing wrong with a
parent, a guardian, going to a

special education teacher and
saying, hey, I'm really

concerned about this.

Is there anybody that can help,
right?

Um, because I know that, while
we know we don't know everything

, we know a lot of people right,
and so we'll ask the questions.

Find out and uh and so and so
really, that's, that's the whole

thing, and we haven't even.

I mean, that's just the ones
that we know about.

We know there's all kinds of
stuff out there.

Speaker 2: And there's we didn't
talk about APE, which is the

Adaptive Physical Education, and
that's for the students that

can't physically, can't do do PE
, participate in PE, Not the

ones that just won't.

Speaker 1: I know we have
several that just won't do it,

but it makes me sweat, but this
is for the ones that physically

cannot.

Speaker 2: They physically
cannot kick a ball, they

physically cannot catch or throw
or jump, and yeah, that's what

the adaptive PE is for.

And then I don't know if you'd
call it a service, the ABA,

applied Behavior Analysis and I
know we have providers that come

in and do some observations and
work with teachers and I don't

believe that's like a service
that our county offers at this

time.

In this classroom, however, we
do have access to those

therapists that come in and help
the teachers with some of those

behaviors and give them some
Some guidance, some direction.

Support yeah.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not good
with words.

Speaker 2: Not methodology.

Give them, yeah, give them
Memeology Symbolism.

Speaker 1: Yeah, give them the
good Mamiology Symbolism.

Speaker 2: Yeah, practices, and
yeah, help them.

I think they get it.

Give them some help.

Yeah, I think they get it.

Speaker 1: I think y'all know
what we're trying to say If

you're teachers and you're
listening.

Yes, we are teacher-tired, yes,
so.

Speaker 2: I think.

Speaker 1: Is there anything
else that we wanted to talk

about?

I don't believe, so I think
we're going to go ahead and wrap

up this episode.

So, hey, feel free to check us
out on social media.

You can find us on Facebook,
you can find us on Instagram.

You can find us on Instagram,
you can find us on YouTube and

we might even be on X.

You know, it used to be Twitter
, we Twitter.

Speaker 2: Twitter yeah.

Speaker 1: See, we don't do all
that stuff very well.

It's like they talk.

Somebody talked to me today
about watching the tickety talk

and I'm like I I don't even
understand it because I'm old,

but that's okay, that's okay.

So, anyway, until next time.

Uh, yep, I'm jared.

I'm here with my awesome wife
laura, and we'll uh talk to you

later next time.