This session is part of two comprehensive series:
26th Annual Therapies in the School Conference PROGRAM A – ON-DEMAND 12
and
26th Annual Therapies in the School Conference – ON-DEMAND 12
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Bring your services into the classroom and other school spaces to make them more powerful, effective, and student-centered! Enhance your understanding of the educational model and legal mandates to clarify your role, collaborate more effectively, and embed therapy into existing routines. Identify practical strategies to apply principles of integrated services that drive meaningful student outcomes.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Apply effective collaboration strategies to clarify roles, build partnerships with school staff, and contribute to an interdisciplinary approach to meet student needs.
- Integrate strategies into natural school routines to support collaborative student goals using case scenarios.
- Relate the educational model and legal mandates (IDEA, LRE) to integrated therapy practices.
AUDIENCE:
School-based therapists including OTs, PTs, SLPs and Special Educators.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Laying the Groundwork
- Benefits of integrated services delivery across disciplines
- Acknowledging the barriers and challenges to implementing an integrated approach
The Educational Model & Least Restrictive Environments
- Educational vs medical model
- The importance of inclusion- ethically and legally, IDEA and LRE
- Identifying school environments consistent with LRE- it’s not just the main classroom.
Effective Collaboration & Role Clarity
- Effectively communicating our role in schools
- Building relationships with teachers & school staff
- Leveraging an interdisciplinary approach to meet student needs
Meaningful & Practical Services
- Continuum of services
- Direct/indirect
- Co-teaching & contributing to classroom lessons & routines
- Whole class and small group support
- Embedding services into daily routines
- Participation, functional and/or occupation based- services with real purpose
- Identifying realistic first steps
- Real-time feedback (for students, adults, both?)
Strategies for Continued Success
- Overcoming barriers (teacher buy-in, scheduling, time constraints, administrative concerns, etc)
- Progress monitoring
Pulling it all together and Ongoing Advocacy for Integration and Post-test
Jennifer Huff, OTR, MOT is passionate about empowering practitioners to be effective, collaborative members of their school teams. She currently works in the schools and in addition, provides resources and mentorship opportunities to school-based occupational therapy practitioners nationwide through her company, Jennifer Huff LLC. She is on the Texas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA) Speakers Bureau and presented at the 2025 TOTA Annual Conference. Jennifer seeks to equip others to embrace best practices, find community, and effectively engage in their vital role as part of the educational team.
Jennifer Huff receives payment from Education Resources, Inc.
for teaching this course.
Jennifer Huff has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to
disclose.
Once you purchase an online course you will have access to the course materials. If you have purchased this course, please ensure you have logged in to your account in order to take the exam.
Once you purchase an online course, you will have the opportunity to take an exam to test your retention of the material. If you have purchased this course, please ensure you have logged in to your account in order to take the exam. The exam must be completed with a pass rate of 80% or more in order to receive your certificate of attendance.
Continuing Education Hours for disciplines not listed below: 2.5 contact hours (0.25 CEUs). Intermediate level. License #______________.
Education Resources Inc. is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID# 13946. This Distance Learning-Independent Course is offered at 2.5 contact hours 0.25 CEUs (Intermediate Level, OT Service Delivery, Foundational Knowledge & Professional Issues). AOTA does not endorse specific course content, products or clinical procedures. This course can be used toward your NBCOT renewal requirements for 2.5 units. Provider for the FL Occupational Therapy Association CE Broker for 3 CE Hours - approval #____. This course has been approved by the MD State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners for __ Continuing Education Hours. This session applies 2.5 CE hours toward approval but must be combined with entire Program A sessions to receive approval by the MN Board of PT, #___. Approval #___ by the NJ State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners for 2.5 CECs. Approved sponsor by the State of IL Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for Physical Therapy for 3 contact hours. Approved provider by the NY State Board of PT for 3 contact hours (0.3 CEUs). Education Resources is an approved agency by the PT Board of CA for 2.5 contact hours. This activity is provided by the TX Board of PT Examiners accredited provider #2810017TX for 2.5 CCUs and meets continuing competence requirements for PTs and PTAs licensure renewal in TX. Approved Provider for OK State Board of Medical Licensure & Supervision #BAP202310003. Approved Provider by the NM Board of Physical Therapy for 2.5 CE Hours. 2.5 hours of this course qualify towards the discipline-specific hours for the 20-hour requirement for NDTA re-certification. They do NOT qualify towards the 8-hour NDTA Instructor requirement for re-certification.
Education Resources Inc., 266 Main Street, Suite 12, Medfield, MA 02052 508-359-6533
