School Based OT support group

amother

Black

Mon, Jul 24 2017, 9:38 am

HI!

I'm in but I am sooooo nutty busy with my family kah that I can't really think about work right now -- but I know I should.

Maybe if you get me started, I can think of some stuff.

What did you have in mind?

I found an I Spy game at a consignment shop and bought it... I didn't even open it to see how easy or hard it is!! LOL I'm so impulsive sometimes. I also got a balance board with a ball that goes through a maze thingy on it.

amother

Seafoam

Mon, Jul 24 2017, 9:50 am

So I was thinking about it and I really feel that the biggest struggle for me as a school based OT is not so much finding fun and creative ways to work on fine motor skills, handwriting, visual motor skills, strengthening etc. but rather collaborating with teachers and implementing sensory diets for children in the classroom. It seems that no matter how many sensory strategies I offer the teachers, they just don't use them and continue to label the child as "impulsive" or "behavioral" or the child that can't "pay attention." I feel like it would be really helpful if I could hear from other OT's how you go about collaborating with teachers and implementing sensory diets. What kinds of things do you make for the child? Do you create visual schedules and check lists? What do they look like? Do you implement movement breaks for the entire class if so how do you present it? When you give the child adaptive equipment like seat cushions, weighted vests, theraband for chair, pencil grips- how do you assure the child used it correctly when your not there and also not lose these things! I've had teachers put away weighted vest or lap pad for a child in a closet and then almost not be able to find it at the end of the year! Would love to hear from OT's about how they help children integrate the strategies they learn into classroom setting. Patents with children who've had great OTs help them in the classroom would love to hear from you as well!

amother

Apricot

Mon, Jul 24 2017, 10:30 am

Seafoam, I am so with you! I actually have a great relationship with the teachers at my main school, and they truly care about their students. I've done teacher workshops on relevant topics, and I've met one on one with them as well. The problem is, for the most part they have so much going on in the classroom, they sometimes (often) feel that those kids who need extras simply need a one on one to handle their particular needs. Yes, it only takes a minute so set up Chavi's stuff before circle time, but they don't feel like they have even that one minute to pause everything else and focus on it.

Probably there is also some resistance to implementing strategies that they don't fully understand. I definitely got more compliance from certain teachers after I gave a workshop on sensory processing in the classroom. But they tend to not have the time/ interest in reading books that I recommend, and there's only so much I can teach al regel achas. So they keep addressing problems as they make sense to them, despite limited effectiveness.

It's very frustrating for me, but I feel for them. If it's a classroom where each child has his own chair, I will personally be the one to put the cushion or theraband on the chair. I try to pop in and put on the weighted vest myself if possible. But yeah. Sometimes I get the child to such a well regulated state, we have a great session... And one minute after transitioning back into the classroom it's all down the drain, because many of these kids struggle mightily to stay regulated in the typical chaotic classroom.

Sorry for that scattered rant.