What is the difference between OT services in a clinic versus a school?

 

Occupational Therapy services in an outpatient clinic setting follows a medical model.

In this setting, the Occupational Therapist identifies the etiology or underlying deficits of a problem and addresses those directly through frequent rehabilitative activities. The medical model is more of a "bottom up" approach; the therapists identifies the building blocks and attempts to fix or repair the deficits for improved function.

A clinical Occupational Therapist may see a child one on one several times a week to strengthen and rehabilitate deficits.

 

Occupational Therapy services in the school setting follow an educational model. These services are more of a "top down" approach. In the schools, Occupational Therapists assess the student's functional skills and identify areas of difficulties.

The primary concern for the school Occupational Therapist is enabling the student to learn and access his or her learning environment (classroom, playground and cafeteria).

Rather than rehabilitate a deficit, the school Occupational Therapist may adapt or modify the environment or offer the teacher strategies to implement on a daily basis to afford success,

Because a student is at school to learn, pulling a child out of the classroom for "therapy" may not be the best approach to promote learning progress.

 

 

 

 

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