OT help at school

by Heidi
(Provo, UT)

Hi everyone! My son is 7 and in the first grade. Our local school district does not currently have an OT. His resource teacher has not been very helpful. We are taking him to a private OT, but is the school required legally to provide one?






Comments for OT help at school

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 18, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		OT-school
by: Carolyn

A lot depends on the diagnosis that has been given to him and how much help he needs. We have just recently begun pursuing OT help for my 5 yr old son in Kinder. I began pursuing because I am a Special Education teacher in the same school district. He qualified for help through an agency called Early Childhood Intervention which services children from birth to age 3.

At age 3 he graduated out of the program and it was not felt he needed to continue any of the services through the school district. As it was explained to me this was only for really severe children and you had to qualify. I did not feel he would qualify and we also earned too much $ for Head Start. Now it has been 2 years and have watched him struggle in Kinder. I finally decided to pursue knowing what services were available.

Inquire as to what services are available through the school district. They must have some type of OT for special needs students. In TX the teacher has to document interventions she has tried for 6 weeks. If she documents for 6 weeks and nothing works then she can refer into OT. Ask around and don't take no for an answer. Ask lots of questions and expect to get a lot of run around but pursue it.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to The SPD Q & A.