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Click on your preferred podcast player link to listen wherever you enjoy podcasts . Welcome to the show notes for Episode 189 of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast. Dive into groundbreaking research on the transition from caseload to workload models in school-based OT with Stanbridge University MOT students Jalen, Michelle, Jared, and Ari. Their nationwide survey revealed striking results: practitioners using a workload model reported significantly lower burnout scores compared to those using a caseload model and majority strongly agreeing that the workload approach reduces stress levels. The students' research identified key barriers to making this transition—primarily lack of administrative support and scheduling conflicts—while highlighting successful facilitators including peer support and improved collaboration with teachers. Their findings emphasize the importance of data collection for advocacy, suggesting that tracking time spent on indirect services provides compelling evidence when approaching administrators about workload changes. This episode offers practical insights for school-based OTs feeling overwhelmed, with recommendations to start small by tracking weekly time usage and increasing teacher collaboration. Listen now to discover how transitioning to a workload model can transform your practice, reducing burnout while improving service quality and student outcomes. Listen now to learn the following objectives: Listeners will compare the impact of caseload versus workload models on therapist burnout, stress levels, and job satisfaction. Listeners will identify key barriers and facilitators to transitioning from a caseload to workload approach. Listeners will identify practical strategies for initiating a workload approach. Guest(s) Bio Michelle Aquino is a Master of Occupational Therapy student at Stanbridge University in Irvine, with experience as a Behavior Interventionist in a school-based setting. Working with children with diverse needs has sparked her interest in pediatrics. She is passionate about occupational therapy because it allows her to help children build independence and develop essential skills they need to reach their fullest potential in everyday life. After completing the OT program, she plans to specialize in pediatrics in an outpatient or school-based setting.  Quotes “I’m hopeful for a future where school-based OTs are recognized for the true impact of their work.” — Michelle Aquino “Peer support and collaboration make a huge difference for school-based OTs’ satisfaction.” — Jalen Arcadio “Administrative support is the key to successfully transitioning from caseload to workload.” — Ari Aguilos “Tracking time tells a story administration might not see, and it improves student outcomes.” — Jared Sarmiento Resources 👉 Michelle’s Linkedin 👉 Jalen's Linkedin 👉 Ari’s Linkedin 👉 Jared’s Linkedin 👉 OT Schoolhouse Collaborative 👉 Garfinkel & Seruya Research Episode Transcript Expand to view episode transcript Jayson Davies     Hey there, and welcome to episode 189 of the OT school house podcast. I'm your host, Jayson Davies, and today we have a truly unique episode. Over the last year, I've had the incredible pleasure of advising four master students through their thesis research at stanbridge University. Jalen, Michelle, Jared and Ari together, these four developed their research question, conducted their lit review, formed their hypothesis, developed a survey, and completed their data collection and analysis, all about using a caseload and workload approach. In fact, you may have even helped them with a survey response when I sent that out in an email a few months ago. Now, what makes this especially exciting is watching these students transform from virtually knowing nothing about school based occupational therapy to now deeply understanding the challenges of traditional case load approaches in the schools and maybe why we need to move to a workload approach. Now that they're done with this project, they are currently headed off to their level two fieldworks and are on track to join the OT workforce early next year. Congratulations, guys. I know you're listening to this, and couldn't be more proud of you. Now their research that we are discussing today examines, as I mentioned, caseloads and workloads, and this is a topic that every school based ot practitioner is impacted by every single day. So what we're going to talk about is the transition from one to the other, from a caseload to a workload approach, and how that impacts burnout, effectiveness and even student outcomes. So if you've ever felt overwhelmed by your caseload or struggled with documentation time, or even wondered if there is a better way to structure your services. This episode is essential listening. We'll explore what the research shows about therapist burnout rates, quality of intervention, and even the key barriers and facilitators to making this important transition from a caseload to a workload model. I'm so happy that these four have decided to distribute what they've learned through the OT schoolhouse podcast, and it is truly a pleasure to have them join me for this chat. Let's go ahead and get started.    Amazing Narrator     Hello and welcome to the OT schoolhouse podcast, your source for school based occupational therapy tips, interviews and professional development. Now to get the conversation started, here is your host, Jayson Davies. Class is officially in session.    Jayson Davies     Jalen, Jared, Ari, Michelle, welcome to the OT school house podcast. It is a pleasure to have you here. We've all been working together for about nine months, maybe, gosh, close to a year now, but it's all come to this. We are recording a podcast together. We're going to share what your findings are and kind of the research that you went about to determine a little bit about caseloads and workloads, I don't want to get ahead of myself. I'm going to let you all talk about that, but let's get started. Jalen, how you doing today?    Jalen Arcadio     I'm doing great. Thank you for asking. I hope you guys are all doing well. We're in break, but    Michelle Aquino     living life, you know?    Jayson Davies     Yeah, absolutely. And if I may, what made you decide that you wanted to get into occupational therapy?    Jalen Arcadio     I honestly joined for the sole purpose of knowing that you're helping people always, and it's a great way to expand your compassion and like being just passionate for helping others    Jayson Davies     very cool. And Jared, how you doing?    Jared Sarmiento     Doing good, doing good. Very excited to be here. Awesome.    Jayson Davies     And why don't you share a little bit about the program that you're in and the entire group is in and how you're doing?    Jared Sarmiento     Yes, so we're all masters of occupational therapy students at stanbridge University out in Irvine, what's called, we only got about a little, oh, actually, a little over, oh, under a year now, so, but I stepped into our level two field work very excited about us, kind of get, like, our real first hand experience, and, you know, just the maze, you know, it's come down to this point. A lot of schooling this last full year. Very intense, a lot of work. But, you know, kind of excited to see it come into mutation, whatnot. Kind of get that feel what it feels like to be an OT, you know,    Jayson Davies     it'll be here soon. It'll be here very soon. And Ari, welcome to the podcast. What made you decide to pursue occupational therapy?    Ari Aguilos     Hi, yes, thanks for having me. I'm Ari. I think just like Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science is so valuable. And after shadowing a bunch of different health related fields, I just knew that ot was, for me, fantastic.    Jayson Davies     And Michelle, same question to you.     Michelle Aquino     Hi, I'm Michelle. I think the one thing that really helped me learn that occupational is for me was from watching the school based OTs that I was working under while I was a bi at school district. And I really just sparked a career. Capacity in me.    Jayson Davies     Awesome. And now here you are completing what ultimately is a school based occupational therapy type of project. So awesome. Kind of full circle here. So well, let's go ahead and dive into it. We're talking about cases and workloads within this episode. And I'm going to come over to you, Ari, and I want to ask you that, why do you think that this was important? Why was it important for us to look at cases and workloads, and why was this worth looking into in terms of research?    Ari Aguilos     Yes, ultimately, we had a great opportunity to study the practitioners themselves, and I feel like they're especially during our initial review, we couldn't find any or little to none of research on OTs themselves when it comes to work life balance, when it comes to burnout of the actual practitioners. So what we got to do was answer some of those gaps of knowledge, figure out even more things that could be researched and very generalizable to not just school based OTs, which is a very important role nationwide, but for all, for the all, the whole field of OT awesome.    Jayson Davies     And I kind of want to let anyone respond to this one, because Ari did bring something up, is that sometimes you find research related to other areas, but not what you're looking for. And so for any of you, because all of you had to partake in the lit review, was there something that was there a moment where you remember kind of being frustrated because of the lack of research that you were, you know, looking for, and what you were able to find? And kind of like, that's just what did it feel like? But what were just share that experience, I guess, anyone want to dive into    Jared Sarmiento     that definitely, kind of researching the difference between workload versus caseload was very hard. You know, we had a we'd maybe find like, one or two articles, and then we kind of have to, like, see, like, what they were referencing, just to kind of get like, a better gage when determining the difference. The big difference between workload versus caseload definitely saw a lot for like the realm of for like speech therapy, but it was very limited when it came to the field of occupational therapy and kind of like what the main differences are, especially for school based OTs. It was a lot. It was hard, but kind of have to work with what you get, you know, saying absolutely.    Jayson Davies     And just kind of a quick follow up to that, was it difficult to find research specific to school based as opposed to, more generally, about pediatric therapy as a whole?    Ari Aguilos     Yes, we had some leading sources for our, like, initial research, which we had to follow their sources and dig deeper into that, but it was very limited. And like, we basically had to start from like, we had to understand school based practitioners from from, like, as students, we don't know what their life is like, so we had to, essentially, like, understand that first before even developing our research. So I think we had an extra challenge when it came to even beginning to research and finding that there wasn't a lot out    Jayson Davies     there. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And as you pointed out, right? You're you're all current occupational therapy students. It's not like you've been in the field. It's not like you've even determined exactly what field within occupational therapy you want to go into. And so I know Michelle mentioned, right? She's worked in a school based setting, not as an OT, but for the rest of you, I don't think you really even had an understanding of school basis, so you kind of had to learn that part before you could even do the literature review process itself. And I know that was a learning process as well. All right. Jared, for listeners who may not be as familiar, briefly explain the difference between a case load model and a workload model and why that matters so much.    Jared Sarmiento     Yeah, so for a caseload model, basically the practitioner, their work measure is measured based on the amount of students that they see overall. So for example, they may have 50 students on a caseload, and that kind of determines, like the schedule. They're basically responsible for seeing that at those 50 students within a certain timeframe, whether the week or the month, and then, whereas, for the workload model, it kind of measures the overall work that the practitioner is doing. In total, this can be both direct and indirect services. So both seeing the students you know, doing interventions with them, maybe even doing assessments. And it's kind of like the things outside of just meeting with the students. So for example, documentation, collab, collaborative meetings with the teachers, maybe even the students, families, IEP meetings. And for the workload model, it kind of distributes their time accordingly, rather than just by the measure of how many kids they see. And it kind of matters. It's very. Strong because, you know, a lot of schools traditionally are utilizing just seeing a practitioners work overall, by the amount of students that they oversee, but what they're not accounting for is the hours and time that practitioners have to put on or just outside of everything, kind of like those indirect services, and it kind of leads to a lot of burnout inconsistent, inconsistent types or service deliveries, and ultimately unrealistic expectations.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, and I think that kind of like summarizes the lit review. You guys broke down the lit review into a few different themes. And I think that kind of is the overarching themes from the lit review. So once you kind of had a little bit of background within the realm of school based ot looking at the research, kind of what's already out there. Jaylen, I want to come to you, because once you have that information, what was the way to move forward, what was the main purpose of the study, and what were you trying to or hoping to discover about school based ot practitioners within a workload approach.    Jalen Arcadio     So yeah, like what Jared was saying, we wanted to expand on the school based OTs and how they were experiencing a workload model. But with that, we had to do a survey with Google, Google Sheets. We conducted a state like a nationwide survey to see the transition from caseload to a workload model, and we just wanted to discover and understand their experience and real world impact, like a burnout and work life balance interprofessional collaboration And just the quality that the students were receiving from the OTs, awesome.    Jayson Davies     And then there was also a second kind of theme that we wanted to discover too. And we split that survey up a little bit, but I want to give you that opportunity to kind of like to address the second part of the research. What was that second part that we really wanted to understand when it came to therapists who maybe had made the transition from a case of Joe workload approach,    Jalen Arcadio     we wanted to see, like, how effective it really was. So we wanted to see what types of experiences they were dealing with in terms of, like advocating for this specific case our workload model and how they wanted to be a front line for the students, because at the end of the day, they weren't getting the support from their peers, and it from the survey that we got. It was mostly just their ot peers who were also just supporting them.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, and we'll get more into all the details, because ot peers were important, a few other players I know we'll be addressing in just a little bit. Ari, I'd love to give you a chance to kind of dive a little bit more into how we designed the research, how we how we built that Google form up to get the data that we wanted. Go ahead. Yeah.    Ari Aguilos     So for the Google Sheets survey, we knew that Google Sheets is really accessible, so we knew we automatically just wanted to do Google Sheets now we would do email snowballing, but for the actual content of the survey, we had developed aims such as, like, if they have experienced the caseload, what's their experience with a work, or if they experience a workload, and what's their experience with it? And then the second part was, were they there at their site when they transitioned from a caseload to a workload approach, and what was that experience like? So with that like, we got to do, like a qualitative like we did, Likert scale questions mostly, and then open ended questions, basically aiming to explore those themes. Yeah.    Jayson Davies     And really briefly, can you just share what the criteria was to be a participant, or the criteria to not be a participant. Was, you don't need to read a verbatim but just in general,    Ari Aguilos     yes, essentially, our inclusion criteria was you had to be a school based occupational therapist currently working, and you had to have some experience with the workload model. And opposite to that, the exclusion criteria is if you were retired, s, B, OT,    Jayson Davies     All right, awesome. So we understand we use a Google survey. We had some electric questions, we had some open responses, and then we had school based ot practitioners, non retired who had some workload experience. Now, Google Surveys are great in the sense that they give you these nice clean graphs for the questions that create nice, clean graphs, you know, the yes or no questions, the Likert scale, but when you have open ended questions, that gets a little complicated. So as you all were planning to have these open ended questions, and knowing that we were going to aim for, you know, 100 a few 100 different responses. Is, what was the plan for actually analyzing that data?    Ari Aguilos     I can take that question, so when it came to the open ended questions, and knowing that we would have to sift through a lot of responses, we basically, as a group, wanted to use artificial intelligence AI to do the to use it as an organizational tool to do the initial coding phase and to basically speed up the process of doing the thematic analysis and coding. And it really allowed us to organize the themes faster, kind of, yeah, can I leave it there?    Jayson Davies     You can continue on. So what were the benefits of AI, and how did you use it as a tool to support you?    Ari Aguilos     Well, the benefits of AI is that it was it's really simple to use. I feel like past research tools that we've used in practice, like deduce it was very convoluted. Takes a lot of time versus the versus the model that we used. It was able to be replicated. It's able to be like the output was way faster for us as a group to what's the word I'm looking for, essentially, like    Jayson Davies     to sift through and then determine if it's accurate. Yes. Okay, and you mentioned using AI. What specifically did you use AI? Because some people might listen to this and say, Oh, you just went on to Gemini, or you just went on to chat GBT and and dropped your spreadsheet into there and got some responses. Was it that simple? Or did you do some research into how to use AI to do this?    Ari Aguilos     Yes, we definitely did some research on how to use AI as a tool so that it didn't replace us as researchers. We wanted to essentially figure out, how would it replace the coding phase, just the coding phase. So that way, once we get all our responses, we basically looked for we did like our own research, and looked for like what researchers are currently using AI to do in their research, and we basically replicated what they did. So then that means that they use a specific, a specific tool that can be accessed afterwards. It means that you can double, you can double check, like if the responses are true to what the AI is outputting. It's essentially like, again, not replacing the researchers, but using it as a tool for us, just speeding up the process. And, yeah, we found a few articles that, like Cambridge was playing around with, like, certain AI models, and that's we use that as a guideline, essentially in our research,    Jayson Davies     awesome, and obviously it helps save time with that theme development. This will be an open question for anyone, did the AI at all make things more difficult? Did you get ever get frustrated with the AI at all? Or was it pretty straightforward?    Michelle Aquino     I feel that overall, it was a pretty straightforward process. I feel like it it got us to really think about what to really focus on and what to eliminate.    Jayson Davies     Okay, and was it able to provide you? Obviously, it provided themes, but was it able to help you better understand the, I guess, to a degree, the voice of the therapist? Did it just provide you? Hey, these are the overarching themes, or did it help to provide you additional information to support your research project?    Ari Aguilos     I would say the original quotes from the responses are always like the best and painted the best picture of what they are experiencing. And AI, honestly, just put it into it helped us put it into other words, but it necessarily didn't capture like what they originally said. So that was a limitation. I would say that AI, we would, we would always look out for    Jayson Davies     awesome Ari. I do want to give you one more thing to kind of discuss, and that is the second half of the survey. A little bit. What was that? How did we filter people and how to what was the purpose of the second half of the survey?    Ari Aguilos     The second half of the survey was to get the experience of transitioning to a workload model, because it's an emerging model, not of not a lot of school based occupation yoga therapists have experienced it. So we wanted to see the ones that have experienced it. What facilitators led to that change. So was it administration support? Was it team collaboration? And through a series of Likert scale questions and open ended questions, we were able to get more insight into that experience, just that, like transitioning part or if they were there. Four after the transition of going from a caseload to a workload approach.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, and Jared, I want to come to you really quickly, because we had this actually became something of a we got a little confused at times during writing this thesis about the number of people that we actually had partake in our project, and we were hoping to get somewhere around 300 because of this, like 1% number of school based ot practitioners that we think are represented, but we ended up having two people, 200 I believe it was kind of click over to the survey, and then significantly less actually take the survey. So I want to give you a moment to kind of address that, yeah.    Jared Sarmiento     So kind of like you said, So we initially, you know, we're aiming for 300 hoping, like that was going to be our set number. When we got 200 responses, we're like, okay, like this is pointing in a good direction. And then once we excluded those who said that they had no experience with the workload approach, it only brought it down to like, 114 and then by that time, we're just like, Oh, man. Like, so it kind of showed us like, wow. Like, there's really not a lot of school based therapists out there who really have true experience with the workload approach. And then even just when it went down to have you made that transition, it cut the number in half again. So I think it was only like, what it was only was, only between 75 to 80. So it kind of left like little room. I mean, it helped understand a good perspective. But, you know, we want, we were hoping that we would have a big, big number, so we understood, like, you know, what is working for people to make that effective transition from a case load to a workload approach. So at that point we're kind of like, man, like, it was very eye opening, I would say, very humbling, you know, that way. And it kind of gave us more of that purpose to, like, really produce a really good paper so we could help future school based OTs for the future and whatnot.    Jayson Davies     And based upon that big gap, you know, the 200 104 200 114 that can continue on, and then even the 75 or so that went on to the second half of the survey, based upon that, have, have any of you given any thought to like, if we redid it, would we do it a little bit differently? Or do you feel like we got what we're aiming for?    Jared Sarmiento     Um, personally, I feel like at the end of the day, we kind of got what we were aiming for. I mean, yeah, we would like to obviously see more get, kind of get more perspectives, but that kind of just attributes and shows like how emerging this model is and how there has to be further on research to really, kind of like, understand and helping making the making, help people make that successful transition. You know, it kind of just adds to, like, what we talk about, the literature and the background. It's just, it's very new, but, you know, hoping that it could be the start for kind of, like a big movement, for people to really make that effective change and whatnot.    Jayson Davies     Perfectly Wrapped up. All right, we're going to take a quick break, and we when we come back, we're going to discuss the key findings of the research, as well as how we can translate this research into practice. So stay tuned. All right, we are back, and we are going to start things off with Michelle right now and Michelle, what were some of the biggest takeaways or themes that started to emerge from both the qualitative and quantitative data?    Michelle Aquino     Hi, yes. So for the biggest takeaways and themes that we've noticed throughout our data was there were a lot of barriers when it came to transitioning from a caseload to a workload. A lot of the staff and administration had a lot of trouble trying to change into the workload model. They're pretty resistant with how they wanted to change. They were so used to the caseload model that they didn't really see how a workload model could improve their their overall satisfaction.    Jayson Davies     Okay, so difficulty transitioning from caseload to workload. What were some of the others?    Michelle Aquino     Another other findings was a lot of the therapists noticed that they had a better satisfaction when it came to transitioning to a workload. It they felt a lot more balanced. They felt like they could increase more quality of care. And it was also like very satisfactory towards the clients as well.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, I remember seeing the chart that you all put together when you came back for one of our one of our sessions, and it was like we had asked, I think it was a four point Likert scale, maybe five point Likert scale. And those who felt effective, basically on a caseload model, were like, at a two, two and a half. And those who felt effective on a workload model was closer to four. I mean, that's a pretty significant jump of just feeling effective like, you know, it sucks to work in a job and not feel like you're effective like, just no one likes that feeling. So that's a really cool insight, that just simply switching from a caseload to a workload model can make someone feel more effective. What about collaboration? Do we have any results related to like being able to work alongside teacher, peers and others?    Michelle Aquino     We did have some, some results on that as well for collaboration, from transitioning from a caseload to workload, the collaboration was a lot more improved. It felt like it was better for the OTs to feel like they had time to actually work with the students rather than just doing it and like it was. It didn't really matter what they did, they just like it felt a lot more like they had time to actually focus on the child itself.     Jayson Davies     Gotcha, Jared, we also wanted to look a little bit about burnout and stress. How did the workload approach impact burnout and stress compared to a traditional caseload model? Yeah.    Jared Sarmiento     So we kind of first started off by asking the and the question to the practitioner, like, what type of service delivery model are you using currently in this point in time? And then we followed up with the Likert scale question of how much burnout they feel overall. A score of one meant that they felt little to no burnout, while a max score of five reported reports feelings of high burnout. And you know, based on the 114 participants, those who are currently using a case load model reported an average score of four out of five on the burnout scale, while those who are using a workload service delivery model, or from the past reported an average score of 2.1 so you kind of see like that really big difference in how, how a workload model can lead to less burnout, less job satisfaction overall. And then we also kind of did a follow up question of comparing stress levels between using a workload versus a case load model. Score of one would mean that the practitioner is disagreeing the workload model doesn't play a factor into stress, while score of five reports that they agree highly that the workload model reduces stress, and at least 60% of the practitioners who answer that question reported a score of four or five indicating that they strongly agree that A workload model definitely plays a major factor in reducing stress levels for them.    Jayson Davies     Absolutely, all right. And Jalen, coming to you with this question, Michelle spoke a little bit to the idea that it was hard to transition from a caseload to a workload model. But what were some of the specific barriers that we found when asking therapists about the difficulties shifting?    Jalen Arcadio     The common barriers we really face were like that we were seeing were lack of administrative support, the scheduling conflicts, team collaboration, and I feel like that that's what separated a lot of the workload model to the caseload, was the amount of support from their peers, like I said earlier today. And it's just one of those where if that district or school doesn't see the vision, then it's it's hard to kind of manage and like, go through.     Jayson Davies     Yeah, one question I was really happy that you all added to the survey was that we didn't just look at the barriers, but we also asked them about the facilitators. Like, what was it that actually made it easier to transition from a caseload to a workload approach? And Jaylen, if you want to start in, if anyone wants to add, what were some of the what were some of the comments that ot practitioners who had succeeded moving to a workload approach, what were, what were their thoughts of what helped them?    Jalen Arcadio     What helped them that I was like seeing and from reading, from the surveys, was the amount of peer support that that's what I was reading. They were saying a bunch of things like, Oh yeah, I tried pushing for it, but some of my peers was seeing like that type of idea, so that they were trying to help push that back too. It was just like the upper administrative that just doesn't see it. And that's what kind of like led them to either staying to the caseload and not transitioning.     Jayson Davies     So it really took the OT practitioners to work as a team all get on board before the administrators would get on board to a degree. Does that sound about right?     Jalen Arcadio     Yeah, and it's also like quality, like if the students aren't getting the. Same treatment anymore are the same quality because their OTs are dealing with scheduling conflicts, or they're just too busy prioritizing one student and they have to go to the next one and have that cut short. It's just poor quality at that point, and it's leading to the rest of the barriers, like burnout and all that.    Jayson Davies     Was, and I don't know the answer to this one, but was there any responses that anyone recalls where it was actually everyone thought something was broken in relationship to the impact that therapists were having on students that ultimately led to administration and the OT team deciding, hey, we need to change something because OTs not working. Maybe if we use a workload approach, services will be more impactful and more effective. Does anyone recall saying that?    Ari Aguilos     Yeah, I can answer that. So when we asked them what was successful in transitioning, about 20% 23% said that it was administrative support that essentially supported their transition. So like with that, that means that OTs were like initiated, but the administration helped support that change, and from there, they also rated that their perceived client satisfaction improved, or like their perceived like outcomes improved.    Jayson Davies     So yeah, no, I completely hear that. And that's like, what's awesome that we're able to say that there is improvement beyond or once you move to the workload approach, I guess kind of the question is, and I don't know if there was actually data, and this isn't something that we've talked about in one of our meetings before, but I don't know that we had any particular maybe we can go back and look at the data another time, but I don't know if we had, like, Just even one occupational therapist or one participant say, we took data and we found out that our OT services weren't effective, and so we knew that there needed to be a change and like because ultimately, that's what I would love to see. I would love to see an OT department at a school look internally and say, hey, you know what, only 20% or 25% of our kids are meeting their goals, something's got to change. We need to improve ourselves and make a decision based upon that, how they want to improve, because ultimately, things don't typically change unless there is a reason to change. And we've seen with the Surya and Garfinkel research in the past that ot practitioners tend to prefer the case or the workload model versus the caseload model. Our data is basically showing that the same type of things right and that a workload model can be more efficient and less burnout, less stressful than a caseload model. But I feel like administrators really to get on board. And I don't know if any of you heard how OTs got their administrators on board, but I feel like to get administrators on board, they really need something to be they need to see something broken, data to say something broken in order to make that transition. I don't know if anyone has comments based upon what I was just saying.    Ari Aguilos     Other than that, we agree that there's a lot of systemic change that needs to be made.    Jayson Davies     Was that was that addressed? Was systemic change a term used in our survey responses, or something similar?     Ari Aguilos     It was something similar. It was what we found like in our lit review, but that wasn't the focus of the survey.    Jayson Davies     Yeah. Okay, we'll move on here. All right, so we've got our key results right. We know that we need support. We know that we need to work as a team. We know that ot practitioners feel the benefits of using a workload model as opposed to a caseload model. But we also know from that gap, you know, 200 people who wanted to take the survey, versus only 114 who had the workload experience to actually take the survey. That that this large gap of people that aren't using a workload model. So Michelle for school based ot practitioners listening right now and they feel overwhelmed by their caseload, what's one small step that they can take toward transitioning to that workload approach?     Michelle Aquino     Yes, so I feel like my for my recommendation by starting small, such as, like, tracking how you're spending your week, trying to make time to collaborate with the teachers making that time into your schedule, I feel like that's a step that could could help you transition to a workload model. Just by that small step of like, trying to track your time and how you're using your time can really help a lot.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, absolutely, as we were just kind of talking about, you've got to have some sort of data to show your administrator that things aren't worth. In, and one thing to track is your time. Some ot practitioners, very few. We track individual student goals, but we don't track our ability support our to support our entire, our entire client caseload. You know, we're not looking at, you know, I have 50 kids, and 85% of them met their goals. That sounds pretty good. But maybe that's another thing that we can look at, is overall goal attainment scaling for our entire program, not just, not just an individual student by student basis. And Ari, what role we talked a little bit about administrators, but what role did administrators play in successful transitions? And how can ot practitioners advocate more effectively to their leadership, to adopt this approach.     Ari Aguilos     So it seemed that administrative support was like one of the leading reasons why there was a successful transition. I would say what that means for those that haven't experienced the workload approach. I feel like, unfortunately, it's up to the school based ot to like, have that open communication, have that if you're able to express your needs, express like, like you said, the data that the system that they're currently using isn't effective towards the students. Ultimately, you want to advocate for the student and their outcomes. So when it comes to speaking to administration, you want to have that information, have that information forward approach when it comes to advocating for yourself and the student.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, absolutely. And Jared, how can workload data, like time studies, documentation of indirect services, things like that, how can they help us to make the case for better staffing and for student outcomes?    Jared Sarmiento     Yes, I can say it's definitely, you know, tracking, workload data tracking, it could definitely be like a power tool, like we said, to like, advocate for themselves and kind of like what they need in order to be successful as a practitioner. You know, by tracking their time and trying to gage of like, how long their indirect services take, it definitely tells a story that the administrative side might not be able to see. You know, if the practitioner goes to the administration and goes, I'm overwhelmed, that's going to be different than them telling them, than the practitioner telling them, oh, I spend 12 hours a week in meetings. I spend 10 hours a week in documentation. Maybe I spend three hours a week also in maybe driving back and forth between, you know, different students or whatnot. You know, overall, that tells a very different narrative, and it kind of kind of leaves room for the administration to kind of get that different perspective, like, Okay, this is what the practitioner needs in order to be successful. Maybe that could be more staff and overall, like that can lead to just better student outcomes, you know?    Jayson Davies     Yeah, yeah, absolutely. As we start to wrap up here, I'm going to ask each of you two questions. I want to I want to hear from, from each of you. The first is looking back as researchers. What's one thing that this study taught each of you about the future of school based OT and what gives you hope for the profession moving forward? I'll go ahead and throw this over to Jared.    Jared Sarmiento     I would say this project Well, overall, it took it taught me a lot, or kind of just taught me, like, the basis of, like, what school based ot really is, because I've heard about occupational therapists being in schools, but I never understood, like, you know, is it them doing their own one on one sessions? Are they in the classroom? So it kind of gave me a better sense of, like, what their goal is, especially in terms of making them successful for their academic career. And I think that biggest thing, like say, like, I'm hopeful for the future school based OTs, kind of like them being recognized, of the impact that they're making for these students to know, I think that's like the biggest thing that's kind of undervalued, and more, the more people I told about my topic or our topic of our thesis, and they went, wow. They're like, Yeah, you know. And there's some people I even met. They're like, you know, I worked with the their a school based ot when I was in school, and if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have been successful. And I was like, wow. Like, kind of just to understand how big, kind of, like we said that, how big of an impact that they can truly make in terms of student success, you know, their ability, also maybe even their confidence.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, yeah. It's, it's kind of funny you say that because, you know, not everyone goes bragging that they got school based occupational therapy services or school based speech services or anything like that, but we do have an impact on on a substantial amount of the population. Absolutely. Michelle, what about you? What's one thing that this study kind of taught you, especially since you have a little bit of experience within the school realm, what did it teach you about school based? OT, in the future of school based.    Michelle Aquino     for this research, I feel like it taught me a lot. Lot about the differences between how to approach your workload in a more balanced way. Before this, I had no idea that a caseload versus a workload was a thing. I was I was really confused. I remember when I was working with the school based OTs. I did remember them talking about how they would feel so burnt out about having to drive from one school to another. And I feel like for the future of OTs and school based, I feel like there's a more balanced approach uphold and it will be a lot easier to to work under.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, absolutely. And Jaylen, what about you? What's, what's one thing that you know you learned throughout this research about school based occupational therapy?    Jalen Arcadio     To be honest, though, I I didn't have any clue on school based ot to get this whole thing started, like I, I was a coach for a basketball team in high school, and I thought that's those are the extracurriculars, besides teachers and like coaches for sports. But I didn't really understand that there was a whole section for OTs in schools, so that was eye opening for me, and that I learned a lot because I didn't really understand the whole concept until this research.     Jayson Davies     Gotcha. Yeah, yeah, you don't know what you don't know. You don't even know who all is on campus. And a lot of us, we all go through public school about eight, no, not quite 18 years of it, 16, no, not even that. 13 years at least. And we don't even know. Wow, I cannot do math in my head right now. So, yeah, you know you don't know what you don't know. All right, what about you? What's one thing that this study really taught you about school based OT, and maybe the future of school based OT?    Ari Aguilos     I feel like what it taught me is OT. School Based OT is very much in demand in schools, but it's also undervalued a lot of kids, special needs, kids that I've worked with, I see that they would get a lot of value from OT, but even the teachers like they don't necessarily know what OT is. So it makes me hopeful to know that there is a great number of great number of people nationwide that care about school based OTs and that there's a lot of research that can be developed and further looked into, just for everyone in the school system.    Jayson Davies     I felt like that would have been a perfect way to end this podcast, but I have one more question for you all, and that is here. I love that answer, by the way, all right, but if you had unlimited resources available to you now, you just completed this research, you've got information from this research, and you had unlimited resources, time, energy, money, maybe, you know, let's just call it like you're going to go get your PhD in OT, and you're just like, driven by this study and you want to continue this on, what would you want to follow this study up with for another study? What would you want to look into that maybe we weren't able to look into? Or what? What would you want to look into now, knowing what you know about caseloads and workloads, it doesn't have to be a survey. It can be a survey. But maybe you're going into the classrooms. Maybe you're having direct interviews with people. What would you want to do?    Ari Aguilos     I feel like if we had unlimited resources, the ultimate question that we would want to give OTs was, how much is this really costing them, and how much it's really costing administration, as we talk a lot about being information driven, being data driven when it comes to transitioning to from a caseload to a workload, and that, like, ultimately, if we give them the right numbers of saying, like, this is how much it's costing this how much it could save you, I feel like that's a big question that would take a lot of time and money and effort to answer.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, definitely something that the OT practitioners, we often either ignore or don't want to ask, but it's definitely something that administrators, principals, and even at the district level, they're always thinking about money, and so giving them a sense of if it's beneficial financially, could could do wonders. Yeah, Jared, go ahead.    Jared Sarmiento     Oh, yeah. I mean, my answer was pretty much the same. I felt like that was a very common theme that we recognized within our research was, you know, like we said, the hardest, the biggest barrier, was administrative support. But on the other side, for people who had that successful transition, was the facilitator, was the administrative support. So kind of want to understand, like, from the administration side, like, what may prevent you from making that effective transition for the practitioner, you know, like, what's the constraints? Because at the end of the day, there's stuff from a ot side that we don't understand, you know, for them. So it's also, and that's why I talk about kind of like, it has to be a collab. Generation between OT and the administration to kind of find a way that they can like gage and like me in the middle, you know, all right,    Jayson Davies     Michelle, I'm going to come to you in just a second.     Michelle Aquino     I'm going to think back on Jared as well. I feel like there needs to be a lot more research on administrative support. I feel like we didn't really get to see that much while we were collecting data. No, not data itself, but more art research articles on on that topic. So I feel like that would be really important.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, and that was something that I know you all had to do. We talked a little bit about the difficulty finding literature at the beginning, but I know that something I had to tell you all very much upfront was you might have to get outside of the OT literature, and I know you all had to kind of go out into education literature, and you had to go out into like, speech therapy literature to see kind of what they're doing. So yeah, it would be fun to kind of get more insights from the administrators, as I think it was Jared alluded to, like the biggest category for success and the biggest category for failure was administrative support, one way or the other. But what, what constitutes as administrator support for one person might be different for another person. So what? What does administrative support actually look like? All right? And Jaylen, why don't you wrap us up with what, what study you would like to look into with all the information that you now have about our study?    Jalen Arcadio     I'm gonna kind of swerve off to the same section that they've been going off, but I kind of want to see the use of AI in all of this. I kind of want to see the growth of AI being actually used the right way. And this is a great start. If we had unlimited resources, it'd be a great start to try and implement AI into the transition and see how we can show them that it's useful. Because in our research tool, we used it and it was, we used it like properly, and it was a great it shortened a lot of stress and, like, time. So that that was one thing I kind of want to dig deeper on. If there is a tool for all this.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, yeah, and and OT practitioners want a tool that is specific to school based ot from Ai, we've seen that. We've heard that from school based ot practitioners as well, and it's interesting because there's a fear and there's a love for AI, there's a fear for AI, there's ethical concerns related to AI, and we all want to use AI to make our lives easier, but you know, as you mentioned, we need to figure out the right way to do it, and we also need to do it in a way that actually saves us time, not creates more kind of wasteful time spent on trying to use AI when actually it would have been just quicker to write the note on our own, like the way that we usually do it. So, yeah, studying AI and school based ot would be a really, really good one as well. Personally, I would love to kind of dive further into that, that impact on students. You know, I would love to be able to look at maybe a historical review and find 10 therapists to use the caseload model last year and see if their students met their goals, and then two years ahead, if they use a workload approach, or different 10 therapists who are using a workload workload approach and see if their students are meeting their goals. And I don't have the know how to make that possible, but it would be a lot of fun to somehow figure that out, to be able to hopefully maybe show that using a case or using a workload model is not just easier potentially for the therapist, but also more effective for the students that they serve. So yeah, all right. Well, I want to thank you all so much for being here. Jared, Ari, Jaylen, Michelle, thank you all for spending the last nine months or so with me and then this hour or so on the OT school house podcast. Really appreciate it. Congratulations again on wrapping up, and hopefully right around the time this episode is coming out, we get to find out if you'll get to present your information in Anaheim at a ot a best of luck.     Jared Sarmiento     Stay tuned. Thank you. Thank you.     Jalen Arcadio     Thank you.     Michelle Aquino     Thank you so much.    Jayson Davies     And that wraps up episode 189 of the OT school house podcast. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Jalen, Michelle, Jared and Ari for sharing their incredible research on caseload versus workload models, as I mentioned earlier, watching these students grow from having little knowledge of school based ot to conducting meaningful research has been truly rewarding. Their insights into how this transition can help us to reduce burnout, improve service quality and enhance collaboration are truly valuable for our field, and I want to thank them for taking this kind of passion project of mine on Be sure to check out the show notes at OTSchoolHouse.com . Slash episode. 189 where you can view their research poster and dive deeper into their findings. Also, if you're feeling inspired to explore a workload approach in your practice, remember that small steps like tracking your time can make a big difference, and you don't have to make this journey alone. For continued support resources and professional development on topics just like this one, I invite you to join us in the OT squash collaborative. There you'll find a community of school based ot practitioners, as well as our comprehensive caseload to workload workshop designed specifically to support ot practitioners like you make this transition. Additional resources on workload models are also inside of the collaborative, and we would love to have you join, and we would love to support you in your transition from a caseload to a workload model. Head over to OTs schoolhouse.com/collab to learn more about that community and more about the caseload. Course, one more time. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll catch you in the next episode of the OT schoolhouse podcast.    Amazing Narrator     Thank you for listening to the OT schoolhouse podcast for more ways to help you and your students succeed right now, head on over to OTs schoolhouse.com . Until next time class is dismissed. Click on the file below to download the transcript to your device. Thanks for listening to the OT Schoolhouse Podcast. A podcast for school-based OT practitioners, by school-based OT practitioners! Be sure to subscribe to the OT Schoolhouse email list & get access to our free downloads of Gray-Space paper and the Occupational Profile for school-based OTs. Subscribe now! Thanks for visiting the podcast show notes! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcast , Spotify , or wherever you listen to podcasts. Click here to view more episodes of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast

Be sure to scroll down for your free Evaluation Checklist Handout! Ready for a quick game of school-based OT Bingo? Let's see if you get three in a row! Are you frequently: Getting referrals for students who really just needed adapted paper  or a pencil grip. Being invited to IEPs to review OT evaluations   for students you've never even heard of . Realizing the day before a triennial IEP  that you forgot to observe a student in their classroom. BINGO? Trust me, you're not alone. With countless treatment hours, a half dozen open evaluations, and 3-6 IEPs a week, it can feel like we're running on autopilot, juggling too many tasks and reacting to problems instead of preventing them. These moments don't mean you're disorganized. Rather, they show that the system you're working within needs refining. The good news is that by implementing just a few intentional systems can completely change how you manage your workload and collaborate with your school team. By setting up three simple processes ( teacher consultations, referral management, and evaluation procedures ), you can create more time, consistency, and confidence in your daily practice. Let's look at each of these systems and how we can design them to work for us , not against us. System 1: A Teacher Consultation Process (Pre-Referral) Why It Matters Teachers are often the first to notice when students struggle with handwriting, attention, or self-regulation. But without a clear way to reach out and get simple support from you, they may jump straight to an OT referral, even when classroom-based strategies could make a difference. A structured consultation process (MTSS Tier 1)  gives teachers an avenue to access your expertise early on, before a specific student is even named.  These conversations should be about general classroom challenges , not individual students - even when the teacher has 1 or 2 specific children in mind. By keeping the focus on participation, routines, and environmental supports, you're helping teachers apply occupational therapy principles directly into their classrooms. This approach protects student privacy, aligns with FERPA and IDEA, and supports a workload model where OT services reach all students through collaboration, not just those on your caseload. How to Build It Here's what a practical, ethical consultation system can look like: Create a general consultation request form:  A simple Google Form can allow teachers to describe their concern (e.g., "Many students rush through written work") and what they've already tried. Embed consultation into existing meetings:  Join grade-level, PBIS, or Student Support meetings to share quick strategies related to broad classroom challenges. Provide universal resources:  Share quick-reference strategy sheets for common topics such as pencil grasp, posture, attention, or transitions. (Collaborative members can access printable handouts in the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative Resource Library ). Offer brief classroom visits:  Observe general routines (like how the class manages materials or transitions) and recommend task or environmental tweaks that can benefit everyone. Document and follow up:  Keep short notes about what topics were discussed and the supports shared. This documentation helps highlight your workload contributions beyond direct service. Bonus : Record short and simple videos about your most frequently asked question from teachers. Upload them to youtube as “unlisted” so they are not searchable, and then send teachers the direct links. That way you don’t have to repeat yourself every week. The Payoff When consultations focus on classroom concerns instead of individual students, teachers feel supported without needing to file a referral. They are also able to incorporate their newfound knowledge for years to come. Plus, you become a proactive partner rather than a reactive evaluator, and your impact expands across the entire school. For examples of how this proactive approach works, check out our articles on “ Reducing OT Referrals: Using MTSS and RTI-2 to Better Assist You! ” and “ Getting Ahead of Your OT Evals Using Tier 1 Interventions ” Both explore real-world strategies for collaborative support. System 2: A Referral Management Process Why It Matters Even with a strong consultation process, some students will still need a formal evaluation. Unfortunately, referrals often arrive missing crucial information, such as classroom data, previous interventions, or a clear description of how the concern affects participation. A consistent referral management process  ensures that every referral you receive is complete, appropriate, and aligned with educational needs. How to Build It Design a comprehensive referral form:  Include sections for student strengths, targeted concerns, classroom strategies tried, and data on functional impact. Use a combination of checklists and open ended questions for the teacher/IEP team to complete. Require pre-referral documentation:  Encourage teachers to document which strategies they implemented (ideally based on your consultation suggestions). Define clear referral criteria:  Educate staff on what constitutes an appropriate OT referral versus what may be addressed through consultation or Tier 1/2 supports. If possible, attend the IEP meeting when a referral is discussed:  Even if you can’t attend the whole meeting, a short discussion helps clarify concerns before moving to the evaluation stage. Communicate timelines:  Let staff know what happens next and when they can expect feedback. The Payoff This system means you'll spend less time tracking down missing information and more time completing meaningful evaluations. It also helps teachers make informed decisions, reducing unnecessary testing and keeping your workload manageable. 💡 Collaborative members  can access our school-based OT handbook template, which outlines a referral system that schools can use to ensure referrals are relevant, tracked, and acted on. Learn all about the Collaborative here! System 3: An Evaluation Process and Checklist Why It Matters Without a clear structure, evaluations can feel scattered. It's easy to miss a classroom observation or forget to include an activity-level assessment. A well-defined evaluation process  keeps your work consistent, efficient, and student-centered. How to Build It Use a top-down approach:  Start with participation and performance in context before testing isolated skills. Follow a consistent sequence:  Review records → interview teachers and parents → observe in natural settings → assess → analyze → report. Create an evaluation checklist:  Include each step (from prep and interviews to writing and follow-up) to ensure nothing gets missed. Know your tools:  Know the assessment tools you have access to and understand what tools to use for which concerns. Build evaluation time into your schedule:  Build time into your schedule to focus on evaluations. Completing evaluations on the fly has never led to great findings, at least for me. Track your progress:  Use your checklist to monitor completion and stay organized. The Payoff With a structured system, you'll produce thorough, defensible evaluations while saving time. Reports become stronger, recommendations clearer, and you'll feel more confident presenting results at IEPs. Need a checklist to help ensure you complete every evaluation in an organized and top-down manner? Enter your email below and we’ll send it over in just a second. Bringing It All Together - School-based OT Systems Building these three school-based OT systems ( consultation, referral management, and evaluation ) isn't about adding more work. It's about creating clarity and efficiency so your day feels smoother and your impact greater. Sure, they take a little bit of time to set up, but once they are running, you will save countless hours every month! Start with just one system, refine it, then layer in the others. Before long, you'll have a sustainable, organized practice that supports you and  your school community. Systems don't restrict you. They free you to focus on what matters most: helping students participate and thrive. 📬 Want more support like this? Subscribe to the OT Schoolhouse Newsletter  for weekly tips, research updates, and evidence-based strategies for school-based OT practitioners.

Click on your preferred podcast player link to listen wherever you enjoy podcasts . Welcome to the show notes for Episode 188 of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast. Everyday Ethics in School-Based OT: Navigating Challenges with Clarity & Confidence equips school-based occupational therapists with the tools to confidently address real-world ethical dilemmas that arise in educational settings. Through case studies, decision-making frameworks, and updated guidance from AOTA, FOTA, and state-level regulations, participants will strengthen their ability to apply ethical principles to complex situations involving service delivery, documentation, advocacy, and the use of emerging tools like AI. This course enhances professional judgment, reduces uncertainty when facing ethical pressures, and promotes alignment with best practices and legal requirements. Ultimately, attendees will leave with actionable strategies to advocate for ethical change within their districts while maintaining student-centered, legally compliant, and neurodiversity-affirming care. Listen now to learn the following objectives: Learners will identify and describe modern ethical dilemmas within the school setting. Learners will apply ethical decision-making frameworks within the school-based setting case study. Learners will identify strategies for ethical advocacy and communication within the school setting. Guest(s) Bio Taylor Poirier OTD, OTR/L, CPRCS Taylor graduated from the University of St. Augustine – Miami in 2022 with her doctorate in occupational therapy. She began her career with a private pediatric company in Tampa, FL, providing services within private schools and through home health. With a passion for primitive reflex integration across the academic age span, she earned her Certified Primitive Reflex Clinical Specialist certification in Fall 2024. She is currently working to expand awareness of the scope of occupational therapy in schools within her local community, pushing the boundaries of traditional intervention approaches. In her free time, Taylor enjoys cooking, exercising, and watercolor painting. Quotes "Making decisions with confidence will always support your professional integrity." —  Dr. Taylor Poirier "Our roles and everyone's roles really in the IEP meeting or related situations is to progress that child forward." —  Dr. Taylor Poirier "If we don't say it, no one else may say it. Advocacy starts with us." —  Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L Resources 🎙️ OTS Podcast Episode with Taylor 📝 AOTA Blog Post on Ethics and Best Practices 📘 AOTA 2025 Code of Ethics (Pre-Publication PDF) AOTA OT Practice Framework IDEA Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act Print Tool 🧮 Tools from OT Schoolhouse 🔢 Caseload-to-Workload Calculator (Public) 🔧 Caseload-to-Workload Course (Available inside the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative) OT Schoolhouse Collaborative OTP Lounge  - A forum for asking questions within the OT Schoolhouse community Episode Transcript Expand to view episode transcript Jayson Davies     Hello and welcome to this special edition of the OT school house podcast. This is episode 188 and I'm your host, Jayson Davies. Today we are diving into a topic that affects every decision we make as school based ot practitioners, and that is ethic. In this special episode, we are sharing the live audio content from a course that was recorded inside the OT school house collaborative featuring fellow ot Dr Taylor Poirier. Taylor is also one of our community managers inside of that community, and the information that she shares within this particular course about ethical content within school based ot practitioner is absolutely vital. In fact, it's so vital that many states require a ethics course to be taken by ot practitioners in order to keep their license. In this episode, Taylor brings a fresh perspective on navigating the ethical dilemmas that we face every day in school, from IEP meetings and documentation to emerging technologies like AI in this episode, she'll guide us through practical decision making frameworks that build confidence when facing those challenging situations we all encounter. In case you're wondering, this course is a ot approved for one hour of CEUs, and if you are in a state that requires an ethics course, this can fulfill that need. If you'd like to earn a certificate of completion, access the slides and resources and learn from more than 30 other exclusive school based ot courses. Be sure to join the OT schoolhouse collaborative today at OTSchoolHouse.com , slash collab members also get access to our growing resource library, our goal and treatment bank, as well as live mentorship hours with myself and occasionally with Taylor. Now let's dive into this course with Taylor and learn how to navigate everyday ethics and school based ot with clarity and confidence.    Amazing Narrator     Hello and welcome to the OT school house podcast, your source for school based occupational therapy tips, interviews and professional development. Now to get the conversation started, here is your host, Jayson Davies, class is officially in session,    Jayson Davies     all right, and we are officially live. Taylor, the screen is yours.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Awesome. Thank you so much, Jayson. I am very excited to be here with you guys tonight and those who may be watching the replay later on. I think this is a much needed course, and hopefully it provides some new perspective, and you gain a whole bunch of knowledge from it. So let's go ahead and dive in. So over the course of this evening, this is what we're going to review. We're going to look at ethics. Going to review the code of ethics. We're going to redefine what ethics means. We're going to look at the AI implications and how we can still utilize this amazing tool while remaining ethically compliant. We're going to dive into a decision making framework to build up your confidence in handling those situations as they may arise. We're going to talk about Advocacy and Communication, how you can apply everything that you learn and move it out into a micro and macro level for optimal benefits of your students and those around you. And then lastly, we're going to look at some case studies and apply all of that knowledge our course objectives for the evening, we're going to identify and analyze common ethical dilemmas, hopefully give you some relation to these that you may have already experienced or may you may be experiencing in the future. Help you apply that decision making framework and then actively create strategies to communicate and advocate for those that you serve. So what does the term ethics actually mean if you're anything like me, I remember this from the very first day course of OT school, and they were like, all right, you got to memorize these things. And then it was kind of just onto the other aspects of our job, and now practicing for almost three years. I realized this really plays into our day to day, even maybe session by session. So this is the most updated definition I've received from a ot A, and I have some highlighted things in here, so I'm going to read it, and then we're going to discuss so ethics refers to the obligation of occupational therapy personnel to just demonstrate professional conduct that reflects the fields values when working with clients, families, caregivers, administrators, colleagues, policymakers, payers and other healthcare professionals. It includes applying the A ot a code of ethics to help practitioners face complex ethical problems in practice, research, education and policy. So the big word that really has stuck out to me is the term obligation. It's not as we come across or not my circus, not my monkeys. I'm not going to put my hand in that. It's our duty and our obligation as school based occupational therapists to look at everything through an ethical lens in order to uphold the rights of. Of those that we serve. And not only do we have this obligation, we need to reflect the knowledge and the understanding and really the framework that we work within. We need to reflect that in everything that we do by also upholding our values when working with those across the board. When we're able to do that, we also have the professional integrity we build the rapport, we build the trust, and we really build optimal situations for positive outcomes. And we may think of ethics are in place for just those that we serve, but really they're in place for us. They help guide us. They help produce a framework for us to navigate tough situations. And they're really part of, you know, helping us, even at the macro level, with research, education and policy, policy changes. Now we've redefined ethics. We've looked at the term, what are the code of ethics? From a ot a, these are six, which maybe this is a flashback to grad school, or you've been in touch with it more recently, if you're having to do ethical courses based off your state, but we're going to review them now. So beneficence is promoting the well being of our students. We have justice promoting the fairness and objectivity and all the things that we do for our students. Non maleficence is avoiding harm of our students. And I want you to think of harm not only in the physical sense, but in the emotional and mental veracity, providing accurate and truthful information, whether this is in our assessments, documentation, meetings, collaboration, all of those things, autonomy, which is respecting the right of the individual to self determination, bringing students into What we're doing, having them help themselves with goal creation. You know, what do they love about school? What makes school really tough? How can they feel more successful in school? To help guide some of the documentation and goal writing. And then lastly, is fidelity, which is loyalty and faithfulness to our students, which that's the key component that really helps us build that rapport. If students or children feel comfortable with somebody, they're more likely to, you know, show who they are. They're able to confide in and they're able to feel comfortable enough to have that trial and error that we may need them to as we are building their skills. So in the chat, I'd love to see if or hear if there's any one that jumps out to you, is there one where you're like, oh, wow, like, I'm really doing this actively on a day to day basis, or one where you haven't quite maybe you're not realizing the relevance quite yet. I know for me, I feel like our world's really opening up to our neuro diverse community, and with those, the students with different abilities, and so I feel like a lot of what I'm doing is bringing them into those conversations, having their right for self determination, having their right to advocate for themselves. So autonomy is one that I feel pretty heavily in my practice right now. Do we have any comment? Do we have any flowing in jaysons, or any ones that are sticking out to people I    Jayson Davies     just wrote in there that sometimes within school based OT, veracity sometimes gets tested in the sense that we have limitations put on us by administration and teachers and just the system of school based OT, and so sometimes providing accurate and truthful information, you have to do it in A creative way, because you kind of feel that pull a little bit to go one way versus the way that you want to go sometimes. Yeah, absolutely.     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     And we'll touch on this a little bit more towards the end, but that really plays into our communication piece and how we effectively communicate more in a strengths based way to really get our point across and help in the best interest of our children. So why? Why is this important to to have at the front of everything that we do? So having ethical awareness, it protects the rights of our students. It also provides or promotes their well being. It helps guide complex school systems like Jayson was saying, some of those, those dual relationships, some of those dynamics can be really difficult to navigate. So having these ethical frameworks of these six, and then the framework for decision making that we'll go over, really help provide context and structure to how we should navigate those things. Having this promotes integrity, which helps build trust with students, families and staff, knowing that you're always upholding these and really the obligation of truth that we have, and this also helps ensures that we're complying with a ot a code of ethics and state laws, everyone's district states, everything has everyone has their own things that may vary. So being aware of this and being informed is the best way to make sure you are always in compliance, so that there isn't a mistake that you may make just out of lack of awareness. So it's always great to be informed in this, and then again, it really supports our professional integrity and the accountability and everything that we do, even those days when we're rushing, always having in mind that we are accountable for every. Action that we make, and there has to be a purpose. And I know there may be a purpose in every action that we have, but documenting in that way, educating in that way, communicating in the way that you may be thinking, so that everyone around you also understands that importance. So when we think of ethical dilemmas, what do we think of after doing some research? These were the top four areas where occupational therapists who were surveyed feel they experience it the most, which is in IEP meetings. Common things that they have a hard time or are really needing to promote is advocacy and the promotion of the job of justice, mandating reporting situations where, you know, trying to avoid harm for the student, and intervening in that way the complexity of relationships, whether that's within school systems, you know, if the families are not, quote, unquote, typical, maybe whoever the situations may involve navigating those in an ethical way, and then also intervention selections, which it did not mention, assessments. But I feel like this can also be extended into that area, making sure that we are selecting assessments and interventions that aren't just out of ease, but are out of necessity and to promote the best optimal outcomes of our students and identify where the support is needed. So everyone's top question, AI is coming in. We know Jayson is a big AI fan and promoter, and he definitely has a lot of insight on this. And something that we want to start bringing awareness to is that AI is an amazing tool, but how can we use this optimally while ensuring ethical compliance in the chat? I'd love if anybody has experience with this already, where they're unsure of when they should have used it if they've already had some issues arise, whether that was themselves or other areas of their practice. I'd love to see and maybe discuss that later on too, about how to navigate some of those situations. So AI is is coming really fast and integrating itself into our practice. It has so many tools in potential to assist or the students that we serve, whether that's progress notes, whether that's intervention ideas, whether that's summaries for notes in general, or progress reports, whatever that's looking like. And while these can be pushed heavily to to save time, maybe expand access, they are always going to carry a risk. Some of the most common concerns that a OTs having as of last year is confidentiality breaches. Data can be getting misused. There's bias or inaccurate recommendations. And something to keep in mind is that AI is such a powerful tool, but it can't outright or out program human experience. I can't out produce our clinical judgment, our education. We can program it as much as possible, but we always need to use it with a critical lens. So a OT, A is emphasizing that we use critical judgment and protection and disclose when AI has been used when necessary. So overall, AI is an optimal tool to use if you conduct critical judgment and reasoning after producing your outcomes. So whether that is, say you're you're wanting to do like a summary note from data for a child that you put in there to add into a progress report, and instead of just copy pasting, putting it into your report and sending it off after you've signed after you've signed it is looking at it, reviewing, making sure everything in there is truthful, making sure everything is grade level appropriate or age appropriate. It has the type of language that you want, that it's including occupational therapy language, and it matches whatever the goals may be on their their IEP.    Jayson Davies     Real quickly. Taylor, I know Chandler, just put into the chat that she's used Gemini at her last travel school placement. Just made sure not to put any personal information for the students into it. I had a question about this. A OT, a document that you're getting some information about AI, because I was unaware that there was really any a ot documents related to AI, and so I was looking at your citations, and it looks like you have something from it's a pre publication. Is that where this is coming from?     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yes, it's kind of like, from what I understand, it's like their version of, almost like a blog post, is where they're kind of having the conversations about it.    Jayson Davies     Okay, so I know obviously a OT, a doesn't update their code of ethics like every year, and I know they go through a large process to update it. So maybe this is a sign of what may be coming then in a future ethics, OT, ethics from a OT, a document. So cool.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, which is really exciting too, to know that they're evolving with the state of technology and evolving with the state of practice, with school based occupational therapy too. So, okay, so the decision making framework, I know I have come across some ethical dilemmas in my time after three years, and there's been opportunities or moments where I've kind of frozen in a. I'm sure, because I'm like, I know that there's going to be a better way to process this. I need, I know there's kind of some data missing. I'm not sure how to move forward. What really is the optimal outcome. And so this decision making framework is to promote confidence in everyone attending and those watching the replay, to start breaking down these situations, to uphold accurately, promote the justice and everything of that nature. So the three parts are to identify the question or problem at hand. Is any portion of the situation illegal? Does any portion of this harm those involved? Does any part of this go against district or school policy? Once you've identified that clearly you're going to start collecting the facts, you need to collect what is relevant to the situation. What is the objective truth from whoever is in involved in that situation? If there's any additional input making sure that it is objective? Is there too much unknown about the situation? Is it more of kind of a here? He Said, She Said, what's this is what I think is happening, is there not enough information to make a true clinical ethical judgment based off of that. You're either kind of elect more, or you can kind of narrow it down from there. The last step is evaluating alternative action. What are, what is the best step forward that's going to uphold the rights of those at stake, what's going to provide the most optimal outcome for the student or for those involved, and how can you ensure your own professional integrity? With that being said, there is something to be said for being informed, and that making decisions with confidence will always support your professional integrity in these situations, being informed whether that is through courses like this that you do, staying up to date in your own state district and our a, OT, a laws, guidelines, policies, being aware of what ethical dilemmas are facing our society at this time are. We're always evolving so being ensured that we are having an evolving lens of this too and how to apply the six codes of ethics to that. And when you make it with confidence, there's no second guessing of what you did was correct, what you did was important for that child. And something else to remember is that with ethical dilemmas, there may be a side of it that someone does not, quote, unquote, win when it comes to identifying what is best for the student. If that means there's going to be a little bit more education that needs to go into XYZ party, then that's the step that we take. If that means that the student is, you know, the parent is, is not fully on board, or whatever that means, to help educate the rights that are at stake, to educate, the access to the education that they need, and everything in that manner, making decisions with confidence, will always support your professional integrity in those moments. So we've, you know, defined what ethics is. We've gone over what a ot a what the six are. We've looked at the common areas where this happens. We've gone over our decision making framework. Now, how do we apply all of these things and push it out into the world and into our daily practice? That is through Advocacy and Communication. Advocacy is part of the fidelity and justice of this. If we educate or advocate for our student to be involved in a process, if we advocate for them to in IEP meetings, if we advocate for them on even a larger scale, we're able to put forth our reputation of our field, we're able to push forward our values and also uphold their optimal outcomes so that they can grow up being successful and confident. This also promotes fair caseloads and workloads. If you guys haven't already taken advantage of the workload caseload tool that we have available at the OT school house, you should this is a great way to gather data, to promote to your higher ups in order to reduce maybe those, those case loads that may not be unethical at the time, but are unmanageable, therefore they the students. Services are not written appropriately. That service are needing to to be altered, providing that data is always the best way to advocate and communicate for change, and that plays into access to OT services as well. Is, what is? What is our realm of OT? What is it that we're capable of doing? What is it that this population is needing? What is this? What are these classrooms? You know, what do they need to be more successful again, Advocacy and Communication is the best way to do that. And if we you know on the little communication that we may have in passing with teachers or with staff or even with parents, if we can start even on that micro level with them, advocating for the skills that we're addressing for the. The capabilities of their students, no matter what diagnosis or classroom style, anything that they're a part of. Same with educators, if we can educate teachers like, Hey, I know you're talking about sensory for XYZ thing, but this is why, this is it promotes their well being. This is how it helps them. This is what you can do classroom why to help the overall involvement and functionality, and something that we may not think of on the forefront a whole lot is ethics on a macro level with policy change. So we can start by, you know, in our schools, but let's look at our local levels. There are town hall meetings that we can be a part of where they're addressing, maybe special resources, maybe different companies, things of that nature, to help give some insight to those that may have a microscopic view of what the neurodiverse community looks like. And then even at the state level, if they are creating these policies or making cuts or anything of that nature, they may not have the full picture, because that's not their realm. They don't they're not as educated. They don't have the background, they don't have the task analysis, breakdown ability that we have. And so going in and educating, providing the data, what is our what is research showing from a OT, a what is the journal of OT saying, what are, what are the trends that we're seeing? What can we promote to them? What can we advocate and communicate for ethical changes in our states and then at the national level as well? And like we had mentioned kind of all throughout, that is the data collection is key from true, objective information that clear communication of the needs and trying to fill it, and also the collaboration OT is a fairly small realm, and so someone may know someone who went to school with this person, and the connections and the networking is so impactful that when you put me just more than one brain together, the opportunities are endless, and the advocacy and the change that can be made really goes a long way. So with all of that being said, we're going to jump into the kind of the case study portion of this, so those that are close to their phone and are able there will be an ABCD option that I'd love for you to post in the chat, so we can kind of get a consensus and then talk about it. All right, so case study number one, you're in OT obviously everyone in an IEP meeting for Mateo, a six year old student with motor coordination difficulties. Mateo's parents primarily speak Spanish, but the meeting begins without an interpreter present. The administrator suggests that you keep it simple proceed with the meeting to save time, the parents are nodding, but appear hesitant and ask very few questions. So the question at hand, what is the most ethical and legally compliant action in this situation? Answer choices is a, continue the meeting, simplified English, some visual aids. B's request to pause and reschedule the meeting until a qualified interpreter is available. C, have bilingual staff member who's not trained quickly summarize key points, or D, complete the meeting as plans, but send home a translated summary for parents to read. So what I'd like to do is kind of use that framework, and again, I can't see the chat box, but using that framework identifying the problem is that we have that English is not their native language, it's not their first language, and so we're conducting a meeting where they are not able to communicate clearly. They're not able to ask questions for clarification, nor are we able to be receptive to any information that they're sharing. So what do we do next? Well, what are the options? What can we do? Can we do? Can we reschedule someone needs to be present so that we can, you know, be have the true information. So do we have a common answer in the box? Jayson, oh, you're muted.     Jayson Davies     Yep. That helps when I hit the hit the button, yeah. So we got Holly in, and I'm not sure who iPhone is yet, but I think I might know it is and live all saying B request a pause and reschedule the meeting until a qualified interpreter is available. Yeah, I think that's the accurate answer, right? Yep. Now I'm interested to see if that's actually the answer that that most IEPs actually go with, even when we're present, because I know firsthand that that is not always the case.     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Right, and that's when that advocacy and the communication piece and being aware that it's not what's best for everybody else to save time, but what is the ethical option so that all parties are understanding and are able to converse appropriately for that child, an idea actually states that information should be provided in the native language to ensure meaningful participation, so upholding our national laws there.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, and Liv in the chat just said she's seen C a lot. We're having a bilingual staff member who's not trained come in and quickly summarize key points. And yep, I have seen that one quite. Often as well. I've had a come up as well, right where we just try to see it simplified. Haven't had D but I'm interested now, because just recently, Apple released their new air pods that can translate in real time. So I'm interested to see what role technology can play in some of this to help out. So, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Chandler says C was done a lot too, bringing in a bilingual staff member, yep, and, but I will say this too. From the flip side, my wife being an administrator in a school she like doesn't like this either, because she is now losing a staff member who is supposed to be helping out, whether it's in a classroom or in the office and whatnot. So Liv brings up the question, you know, how would we approach this with administration? Sounds to me, sound to me, admin and just want to save money. I voiced that I'm not legal. Yeah, and I, I'll let you respond.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Taylor, yeah, I think with administration, because they do see it as like time on the clock, like money is, you know, my time is precious, where the money that it may be spent to kind of have relocated subs, all of those things in those times for meetings, but at the end of the day, we, we don't want to be liable for a lack of information, and parents to agree to something that they're not understanding, because there's already that language barrier in like that OT, in the OT language and common, common language that are used in IEP meetings. So to to just move through the motions, we're also not getting insight from the parent. We're not gaining we're not gaining a reciprocal conversation to identify what's best for that child. And so at the end of the day, that's when you you educate that, okay, these are, this is what my governing national organization, states are within my ability, and therefore I'm going to uphold the ethical importance for the child that I serve, and that doesn't have that I'm not promoting the justice or the fair access to information by, you know, going with anything but the correct answer here. And like I said earlier this, these are moments that are going to be tough conversations, because one party may feel, well, I don't have the time, but at the end of the day, our roles, and everyone's roles, really, in the IEP meeting or related situations, is to progress that child forward and identify the best needs for accessing their education or accessing their individualized education programs.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, and I'll just add too I feel like, Oops, that's not what I meant to do. Teachers have ethical guidelines as well, and I don't know them. I've got the California Teachers Association guidelines up on my screen. I was trying to look at them really quickly. But teachers have guidelines. Administrators have guidelines. Speech and language pathologists have guidelines. And I think a lot of times, we're all sitting in the meeting and we know that b is the right answer, but we're also thinking about our schedule, and we're thinking about how many, you know, we have six people that we had to coordinate to get to this IEP, and no one wants to reschedule. And I get that. But a lot of times when this comes up, from what I've seen is that people are almost waiting for someone to speak up and say, Let's reschedule. And unless someone does, once one person speaks up, everyone kind of goes with it, like, Yeah, that's probably the best idea. Let's reschedule, la, de da, de da, but if no one speaks up, that's when you end up going with C and it's just easier in the moment to find someone else than it is to think about the craziness that is to reschedule. But it only takes one person, I guess. What I'm trying to say is only really takes one person to speak up. And to be honest, every single person there again. I don't have the SLP ethics guidelines, but they probably have something similar. And it just takes one of us to speak up and say something.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah. And it goes into also being informed enough to have the confidence in or in order to make that, you know, maybe controversial statement or non preferred statement in those moments.    Jayson Davies     yeah. And then I mean, sorry, really quickly, is after the fact, right? Then I would have a real conversation with the admin and be like, hey, after, you know, have a successful reschedule. Maybe, like, Hey, I just wanted to check in. Like, do we have any policy about this, or is there something? Because it's one thing you know, when you speak to your national organization. Sometimes that sounds like a little pompous, but if you can speak directly to the district policy or the school's policy, that's even better. But most of us don't know our district or school policy, so we can figure out if our school has a policy, we can put that in place and then maybe advocate for there's so a lot of districts will use, like a telephone, like there's a contracted agency that you can just call in and they'll translate in the moment. And so districts and set something up like that. So yeah, yeah.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Or maybe in order to find if your district has those policies, is, you can use AI to summarize. OTs and I didn't ask the question, yeah, exactly.    Jayson Davies     Pretty darn good now, so.     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, awesome. All right, we'll move on to our.    Jayson Davies     Liv hopefully that helped a little bit. Let us know if you have any follow ups.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, that was a great question. A great insight, too. All right. Case study number two, Jonah is a fourth grader with an ASD diagnosis. Teacher. Teachers report he often rocks in his chair, hums quietly during independent work and avoids eye contact when spoken to. These behaviors do not disrupt his learning or others in the class, but some staff express concern about social appropriateness. In your assessment, you find Jonah is completing grade level work, using self regulation strategies effectively and participating in group activities when given written instruction and predictable transitions, Jonah says, rocking and humming make him feel calm and focused. What is the most ethical approach? Is it a encourage him to stop rocking and humming, because social norms should take priority over his self regulation. B, document the teacher's concerns and focus interventions on modifying Jonah's behaviors to appear more socially appropriate, even if this increases his stress. C, support Jonah's regulation strategies while educating staff about neuro diversity and the importance of respecting behaviors that are functional or D, ignoring the teachers entirely in focus, only on academic performance, without addressing social or behavioral expectations.    Jayson Davies     So we've got a C in the chat from Holly, and I think C is my response Chandler's response to is C. And yeah, we can have a discussion, because this is a really multifaceted one, and I like to have conversations about this one.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     So C is, C is our, our answer, supporting functional self regulation strategies, respects Jonah's autonomy and aligns with ethical principles of beneficence and non non Maleficent feel like I always have a hard time saying that word. And also promotes inclusion, educating staff about neurodiversity helps balance classroom expectations and student centered practices, options A and B, kind of you know, risk harm by suppressing the functional coping strategies may impact the self esteem, the confidence because he was doing so well at school. So then to know what he what tool was being used, decreased his functionality in the room. Can you obviously have mental and emotional impacts. And then D also neglects the the collaborative nature of school based practice. So while we may not agree with the teachers insight or comments, that doesn't mean we should eliminate the opportunity for education and alternative collaboration.    Jayson Davies     Yeah, so I want to kind of go on this one and go a little bit further, because there's two different scenarios where it's similar, but but it changes it up completely. One is when you have parents from the classroom coming in and saying their child is unable to learn because a peer is humming and rocking. And I think that complicates this even more. And yeah, I just opening up a conversation about that a little bit, because every student has the right to learn, and how do we say, well, this kid needs that, that kid needs that. And sometimes they conflict a little bit. This kid needs quiet, but this kid needs the ability to to hum and rock potentially. And I think that opens up some tough conversations. And I, personally, I think the only real answer is to just sit down as an IEP team, or as a grade level team, as a school team, and, you know, problem solve. But yeah, just interested maybe in your thoughts. Taylor.     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, no, I absolutely agree. I also think it opens the door for kind of education to the rest of the class too, not specifically on what that student specifically is doing, but the overarching, you know, action, which is self soothing techniques, coping strategies. Do these other children have strategies if they're suddenly becoming very distracted by what this child's doing? Do they not have a set of their own? Do they not know how to innately find those strategies while they're working in the classroom? Can there be education on the these are things that we can do to help all of our bodies and our brains stay focused to learn. And part of that to them would go back to the IEP meeting and collaborate like if that is not an option or it is a it doesn't produce a different outcome from anyone, whether the student that we're talking about here, Jonah, or the alternative students whose parents are now coming in with potential complaints. What are the actual options for these How much is it impacting the classroom? What are the can any observations be done? Maybe during specific times? Where works getting completed, where maybe those complaints have been coming from, because at the end of the day, you're right. Every student has, you know, the right to to learn and access their education within the rooms. But at the same time, some of those things can be due to not potential, not necessarily ignorance. That's not the right word I would like to use, but the just the lack of awareness of what others may also need to feel successful.     Jayson Davies     Yeah. And then I think the other question that this begs a little bit is, when that type of question about, you know, I want you to work on social appropriateness, comes from a parent, because that is, then, yes, we're thinking about the child, but the parent is, to a degree, part of the child, in this case, right? Like they are part of the client, per se. And yeah, any thoughts you might have, if we're getting a lot of push from a from a parent or from an advocate that, hey, we really want to work on our student not humming while he's doing work. Have you ever had to address the head or any recommendations?    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, so I am actually going through that right now. I have a parent to the languages I want my son trained to engage in a public classroom with no support. Stage two, autistic boy and joyful as can be. He, you know, needing a lot of prompting and things like that. And what the language is looking like with mom right now is I the word training. I said, Okay, what does that mean to you? What does that mean in your own cultural context? What does that mean for you and dad? What does that look like in your home versus school? Because the school environment he's in now is going to look different, if you would love for him to be transferred into a public school setting and thinking helping them understand kind of to this child may not always be a this child is not going to always be a third grader or look like eventually he will grow up and be an 18 year old, you know, young adult and a 30 year old man and The skills that are trained and for a classroom context don't always benefit them in the long run. So trying to really find that middle ground to where you're being respectful of their wishes, but also helping them understand our our knowledge and our context and our understanding of the realm of neurodiversity and what that looks like across the lifespan that's been helpful. We're still in the early stages, but that's been a process that's been helpful thus far, right? Case study number three, you're currently managing a 30 student caseload. Your district recently introduced an AI powered platform that suggests intervention activities and generates progress notes, the AI recommendation seem efficient, but you notice that some suggested strategies may not be developmentally appropriate for certain students. Administrators encourage you to use the AI outputs to save time and meet documentation deadlines. How should you ethically utilize the new AI platform? A critically evaluate the suggestions, use them as a starting point, if appropriate, and ensure all intervention planning and documentation reflects your personal judgment, while maintaining transparency with your team. B, follow the AI generated recommendations exactly as written to same time and meet. Documentation, expectations, meet. Doc, yeah. Documentation, expectations C, ignore the AI tool entirely and continue documenting, manually, avoiding any integration of technology. D, delegate the AI generated recommendations to support staff without reviewing them to streamline productivity.    Jayson Davies     We got some A's in the chat.     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Wonderful, everybody. It's answer a so I feel like we have it written like out like this. It seems very apparent, but I feel like in the moment, while you're trying to rush and do things, it can feel maybe that something might get missed. So just really having that clinical judgment always tapped in, really, yeah, do you have any Jayson with all of your AI experience and knowledge and research? Do you have anything specifically on this portion?    Jayson Davies     I mean, I haven't heard of a program that's doing that. I mean, I know we have our goal generator, right, that will spit out some interventions and whatnot, but, I mean, we're very careful to put at the end of each goal right, like that. This is AI generated, and at the end of the day it's it's you that should be debating whether or not these interventions are appropriate for for your student. I can see districts as a lot of I don't know of any one particular district, but we are seeing this within the workforce in general, right? Like the use of AI should save everybody time, therefore, when you should need less employers. But if you're not to this part yet, I would want to say school based ot practitioner, we need to make sure that we're getting on whatever team is considering AI if we're being pushed to do AI. And I think I would kind of do the same thing with a I would push back, I in a very respectful way. I would push back, and if I had to, I would pull evidence from wherever I could to show that to my administrators. I would walk through maybe a case study with my administrator to show them my reasoning for why I disagree with the AI bot, yeah, and just kind of let them know one thing that I was going to bring up, I think was on case study one and but it applies to all three, is that it if we don't bring things up, it's really kind of on us, but if we bring up our concerns to our administrators, we're letting them share the not the blame, but we're letting them share this common experience with us, that it is awkward, that it is unethical, that we do have to be mindful of a OT, a ethics code and NBC, OT, and they probably have to be mindful of their ethics codes whether or not they're thinking about it in the moment. So even if it's even if you don't necessarily do the right thing in the moment, it's okay to come back later and say, You know what, I think I messed up here. I should have done something a little bit differently. I want to talk to my administrator. About it.     Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, absolutely. And that goes back into making the informed decision, but also then the obligation that if you realize that that wasn't the most optimal choice, and now you're realizing full circle what could have been done, that is your obligation to then go and share that and have that conversation and advocacy component for sure. All right, our last case study. All right, you're a school based occupational therapist working with Jordan, a 13 year old student with autism and social emotional challenges Jordan shares privately with you that appear in their class has been teasing and bullying them online. Jordan specifically asked that you do not tell anyone as they fear retaliation at the same time you notice that the bullying may also involve other students and could escalate. The school has anti bullying policies and administrators often expect staff to report incidences that could affect the student's safety or the school climate. What is the optimal action to maintain ethical practice? Is it a keep Jordan's disclosure entirely confidential, respecting their request and trusting them to handle the situation themselves? Report the bullying immediately to administrators and parents without consulting Jordan to ensure strict adherence to school policy. See, discuss with Jordan the importance of safety and school policy, collaborate on a plan for reporting and disclose only information to relevant school personnel while minimizing risk of retaliation or D, ignore the disclosure, focusing only on Jordan's ot goals and do not involve the school or parent.    Jayson Davies     I'm going to give a collective C, C says and C has says, OT, and by the way, thanks for joining us and and was iPhone got it now. Thanks for changing your name. Yeah. So C, yep.    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     So this scenario really highlights ethical tension between confidentiality, student autonomy and the duty to protect them. C really balances the respect for Jordan's privacy and autonomy with the legal with the ethical and legal responsibility to prevent that harm and the harm of others, and involves the collaboration with problem solving, partial disclosure and transparency, where a, you know, risks harm by ignoring the overall danger for Jordan and others. B, could damage that trust, escalate anxiety, and then again, doing harm to our student and D, just overall, neglects both ethical responsibility and the school policy.    Jayson Davies     I think the especially, the key in the key words, in my opinion, in letter C, is that only necessary information is being shared like we and working with, working with Jordan a little bit, letting him know, you know, yes, I need to tell people, but I'm going to limit your exposure as much as I can. I'm only going to share what's what's relevant and important. And, you know, eventually we might have to disclose that it's you, but yeah, relevant information?    Dr. Taylor Poirier OTR/L     Yeah, absolutely. And it maintains that rapport established with that child, especially at 13, that's such a core age where there's so many more things at play other than just their school challenges. There's that social component. There's as their bodies are changing, as their their roles are shifting as they're getting older as well. So having someone that they feel safe and comfortable with, that knows supports them, especially in the school setting, is really important. So that C really encompasses maintaining all of that. All right, so an overview of everything that we've discussed tonight. Truly, it is our obligation to the students to best serve them and their goals through an ethical lens while also advocating and communicating effectively on those it's our job to be aware of ethical decision frameworks very like. The one that we learned tonight to instill confidence informed decision making and overall professional integrity. It's our job to stay up to date on any changing practices, to maintain ethical literacy. And lastly, Advocacy and Communication Always will best serve our populations for optimal success. So as Jayson and I kind of had stated earlier, is that if we don't say it, no one else may say it. So if we are the ones to to step in, it's really our, our best way to to serve them. So if you've kind of, if you've either been a part of this course tonight, or you're watching the replay, and you're like, This is all awesome, but where do I, where do I start to understand these guidelines? Where are these policies coming into play? Where do I? Where do I find this information? The best places to go is look at a ot a website. They have guidelines for the school and EI services. It's always great to go back and reference our practice framework. When we're looking at everything that our job is and what we value. It's really great to reference that and how it applies idea section 504, of Rehabilitation Act, those are all great places just to review and what they encompass, so that we can continue making ethical decision frameworks, and then also looking into your state organizations and your district organizations. What are those policies looking like? What do you need to be aware of? And if someone else in these meetings or situations are not aware. How can you make yourself aware? And those are all great places to start. So that concludes the the end of the presentation. Again, I am the OT School House meeting manager, if I if you haven't already learned, but I'd love to connect further. That is my email, whether that's questions about this, questions about the collaborative or wanting to just connect in general, I'd love to, you know, do that further with everybody, because, again, networking is the best way to get big ideas and push change. So thank you so much for everyone who joined. Anne was watching the replay.    Jayson Davies     All right. Thank you so much for joining us for this ethical journey with Dr Taylor Poirier. If you found this content helpful and want to access the slides, the resources and more content, just like this, I invite you to join us inside the OT school house collaborative. As I mentioned earlier, this episode was actually recorded as part of our live professional development series that happens every month within the collaborative, and we would love to have you join us there as a member, you'll not only get access to this course as well as the certificate of completion since you just took the course, but you'll also get access to over 30 other live and on demand, a OT, a approved courses, our growing resource library, the OT, school, house, goal and treatment Bank and other live mentorship opportunities with myself and others, where we can discuss ethical dilemmas like this one and so much more. School Based ot can be isolating, but it doesn't have to be. Join our community of like minded school based ot practitioners at ot schoolhouse.com/collab we'd love to have you there. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the OT school house podcast. I'll see you next time, as we continue to improve school based ot practice all together.    Amazing Narrator     Thank you for listening to the OT school house podcast for more ways to help you and your students succeed right now, head on over to OTs schoolhouse.com Until next time class is dismissed. Click on the file below to download the transcript to your device. Thanks for listening to the OT Schoolhouse Podcast. A podcast for school-based OT practitioners, by school-based OT practitioners! Be sure to subscribe to the OT Schoolhouse email list & get access to our free downloads of Gray-Space paper and the Occupational Profile for school-based OTs. Subscribe now! Thanks for visiting the podcast show notes! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcast , Spotify , or wherever you listen to podcasts. Click here to view more episodes of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast

This course equips school-based occupational therapy practitioners with a practical, ready-to-use framework to stay organized, efficient, and confident throughout the academic year. Participants will gain access to structured checklists for onboarding, daily operations, and year-end transitions, as well as clear guidelines for referrals and discharge planning. Designed specifically for the school setting, the course empowers OTs to streamline documentation, collaborate effectively with teams, and deliver services that are occupation-based and educationally relevant. By taking this course, practitioners will feel more prepared, supported, and aligned with best practices in school-based OT. < Back The School-Based OT Pocket Guide to Getting Started Presented by: Krupa Kuruvilla, MA, OTR/L Attend live on November 19th at 4:00 PST or watch on demand the next day Join OTS Collab & Earn CEUs Learn more about OTS Collab Course Description This course equips school-based occupational therapy practitioners with a practical, ready-to-use framework to stay organized, efficient, and confident throughout the academic year. Participants will gain access to structured checklists for onboarding, daily operations, and year-end transitions, as well as clear guidelines for referrals and discharge planning. Designed specifically for the school setting, the course empowers OTs to streamline documentation, collaborate effectively with teams, and deliver services that are occupation-based and educationally relevant. By taking this course, practitioners will feel more prepared, supported, and aligned with best practices in school-based OT. Learning Objectives 1. Learners will determine how to structure onboarding, ongoing, and exit checklists to organize and manage a school-based OT caseload effectively. 2. Learners will identify indicators warranting an OT referral and apply discontinuation criteria aligned with IDEA to determine service needs. 3. Learners will identify the use of tools for scheduling, documentation, and team collaboration to enhance service efficiency and occupational outcomes. Contact Hours This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) OTSchoolhouse.com is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development, #0252. National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy As an AOTA-Approved provider of professional development, OTSchoolhouse.com courses are accepted by NBCOT® at a rate of 1.25 NBCOT PDUs per each hour of course content. NBCOT® is a registered trademark of The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. Register for this course and future courses inside the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative for as little as $120 Register Now Learn More about OTS Collab Agenda 0-5 minutes Introduction 5-15 minutes Roles and Responsibilities of a School-Based OT 15-25 minutes The Initial Checklist: Setting Up for Success 25-40 minutes Ongoing Responsibilities and Caseload Management 40-50 minutes Referral Indicators and Discontinuation Criteria 50-55 minutes Year-End Wrap-Up and Planning Ahead 55-60 minutes Questions and Answers Your Instructor Krupa Kuruvilla, MA, OTR/L Krupa Kuruvilla earned her Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy India in 2008, followed by a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2009. Her career spans diverse settings, serving both adult and pediatric populations, with a growing focus on leadership and management. Over time, she discovered her true passion in school-based pediatrics. In 2021, she founded TotalReport, a company dedicated to supporting pediatric OT practitioners with high-quality documentation tools across schools, clinics, and early intervention programs. Her work is featured on prominent platforms nationwide, and she has been invited to speak at conferences across the U.S. and Canada. Krupa currently leads strategy and operations for Ascend, a pediatric staffing and therapy company. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, dancing, cooking, watching movies, and spending time with her husband and two children. Registration To access this course and others, become a member of the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative . OTS Collab is an online community dedicated to providing school-based OT practitioners with highly valuable professional development and interactive support to implement learned strategies. In OTS Collab, we learn together, support and encourage one another, and celebrate our achievements as a collective whole. Click here to learn more about the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative and register in our dedicated community of school-based OT practitioners. Instructional Methods A combination of speaker presentation with a slide deck and both synchronous & asynchronous Q+A with the presenter. Target Audience & Educational Level This is an introductory level course intended for occupational therapy practitioners working in school systems or with a goal to better understand occupational therapy in school systems. Course Completion Requirements To receive a certificate for this course, you must watch the recorded course in its entirety. Then, you will need to take a learning assessment test and earn a score 75% or higher. If you pass, a certificate will be automatically generated and sent to your email. Special Needs Requests This course will include closed captioning and a transcript may be available upon request. You may also rewatch the course or sections of the course as needed. Additional accommodations may be requested by reaching out to us via email. Financial & Non-financial Disclosures Speaker Disclosure This course focuses on a few TotalReport products and services. TotalReport is a private business that provides digital tools and solutions to Pediatric OT Practitioners for documentation and treatment purposes. Krupa Kuruvilla receives direct income from the sales of her products from the TotalReport website. Some products are also available on YourTherapySource and The OT Toolbox, for which she receives commissions on sales. Sponsor Disclosure The OTS Collaborative Community is a product of the OT Schoolhouse. Content Disclosure This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service. Schoolhouse Education, LLC is proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider of Professional Development AOTA-Approval for this Professional Development Opportunity is in progress. Stay Tuned! Join OTS Collaborative Terms and Conditions Schoolhouse Education, LLC will keep a record of your completed CE courses. When applicable, transcript services may include reporting to professional associations and/or state licensure boards. While Schoolhouse Education, LLC will make all reasonable efforts to offer CE credit for its courses, it is not responsible for state or national, or regulatory current policies or changes in CE requirements that may make courses ineligible for CE credits. Participant Agreement By registering for or attending any event or activity associated with the Schoolhouse Education, LLC and OT Schoolhouse, I agree to the following: Professional Development/Information Disclaimer The material presented in this course is not intended to represent the only or the best methods appropriate for the occupational therapy and/or medical condition or professional development issues being discussed but rather is intended to present the opinions of the presenters, which may be helpful to other health care professionals at arriving at their own conclusions and consequent application. Attendees participating in this professional development education program do so with full knowledge that they waive any claim they may have against the A-Z School-Based OT Course, Schoolhouse Education, LLC, and OT School House and its staff or representatives for reliance on any information presented during these educational activities. Waiver of Liability Agreement I release Schoolhouse Education, LLC, OT Schoolhouse, and its staff, presenters, and any other individuals or entities associated with this course from any and all liability connected with my participation, as well as from any liability related to changes to the schedule, events or activities. I acknowledge and agree that I am participating on my own choice and assume all risk in connection thereof and that in the event that a need for emergency medical service arises, I authorize and consent to such services being provided at my own expense. Cancelation & Refund Policy In the event that Schoolhouse Education, LLC must cancel the event for any reason, participants will be offered a credit toward the rescheduled event. OT Schoolhouse Collaborative subscribers may cancel their subscription at any time.

The community-based learning community for school-based OTPs looking to make an impact! Unlimited CEUs Live-online Mentorship Every Last One of Our Resources Join the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative, where we provide all of the necessary tools to help you implement evidence-based practices in your schools. GET INSTANT ACCESS Kelsey K. School-based OT Jhenny R. School-Based OT Talia G. School-Based OT In the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative, we are putting an end to the "learn but never implement " cycle that OTPs often experience after attending PD courses. Our goal in the Collaborative is not to learn more best practices. Our goal is to help you implement best practic es . With our practitioner-powered professional development community , you will benefit from things like: 12+ hours of LIVE-online AOTA- approved sessions every year 30+ on-demand AOTA- approved CEU courses Over 75 templates, handouts, resources, and tools to share and make your own (Plus new tools every month!) Group Mentorship Calls, where you can ask your most pressing school-based OT questions And the ability to receive ongoing support from the OT Schoolhouse team and your colleagues . Here are some of o ur recent and upcoming AOTA-approved courses: Price Only available to members of OTS Collab Live (recorded) on: November 19, 2025 Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Learn More Price Only available to members of OTS Collab Live (recorded) on: September 18, 2025 Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Learn More Price Only available to members of OTS Collab Live (recorded) on: July 16, 2025 Duration This course is 1.5 hours in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Learn More VIEW ALL COURSES OT Schoolhouse is proud to be an OTS Collab gives you the education, resources, and support you need to make changes in your school-based OT programs. 01 Highly specific course material Attend highly specific, action-oriented courses directly related to school-based OT. You may attend live or watch the replay to learn from our speakers who have your best interest in mind. 02 Mentorship Group Calls Engage in group mentorship meetings where we review current research and create plans to improve outcomes for our students. Hosted by Jayson, these live and recorded calls are designed to meet your needs. 03 Ongoing community support Utilize our resources and research library to make changes to your practice and ask for feedback along the way. Share what worked, what didn't, and how others can do what you did. By combining professional development courses from leaders in the field with a community of professionals dedicated to school-based OT, you will be ready to take what you learn and implement best practices to better support your students. Each month in OTS Collaborative, we host: One highly specific live professional development course. And one "Ask Anything" Collaboration hour, where no question is off limits. Ask Jayson and the community anything you'd like in a live Zoom call. Plus, all courses, team meetings, and collaboration hours are recorded, so you can catch anything you missed at your convenience. What members are saying? The OT Schoolhouse Collaborative may be new, but we already have therapists thrilled to be a part of this community-powered professional development community! Here is what they are saying: "Having other OTs to collaborate within a safe place is exactly what I have been looking for." "In the OTS Collab, I know I have a group of people in the same boat as me that I could lean on for help, vent to, and share my wins with." "THANK YOU for organizing this!" The support continues long after the courses are over inside OTS Collab. In addition to the live events, you will also receive tons of support and the just-right amount of accountability in our private community. Studies show you are 42% more likely to reach a goal that you declare publicly. But when we attend a professional development course, we often head right back to work without any time dedicated to reflecting on what we learned, developing a goal, and creating a plan. In OTS Collab, we help you to develop goals you can take action on in your practice. The days of attending a course to implement only 1% of what you learned are over. It's time to incorporate best practices, not just learn them. The OT Schoolhouse team and OTS Collab Members are here to support you in our dedicated community portal. Learn More Earn Professional Development. Collaborate with your people. Implement best practices. $39 9 per year SECURE YOUR SPOT HERE $120 or per quarter Member Pricing SECURE YOUR SPOT HERE Save 16% (2 months free) when you sign up with the annual plan Interested in a group rate? Contact us here OTPs Supporting OTPs A safe place to ask questions, seek research and therapy interventions, commit to growth challenges, and generally learn and grow without fear of judgment or rejection. Relationship-building opportunities with like-minded school-based OT practitioners that can yield solutions to problems, lead to job opportunities, and establish friendships. First access and discounts to new content and other offerings from the OT Schoolhouse. A community that welcomes members from diverse backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, neurodiversity, and physical ableness. A focused environment to accelerate professional growth and networking due to the absence of fluff content, noisy discussion channels, advertisers, and recruiters. A privacy-first attitude toward all current and future aspects of OTS Collab. The OTS Collab is a place for occupational therapy practitioners who are serious about using strengths-based and best practices to support all students accessing their educational curriculum. We promote and encourage knowledge translation, collaboration, thorough evaluations, tiered interventions, and the creation of evidence through documentation to support students. Feel like it's a match? Outstanding! We can't wait to support you inside the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative! Join Today Community Fun & Emotional Support While fun and professional development are not always mentioned in the same sentence, we know as mental health providers that all work and no play does not make for a great day. That is why we like to have some fun within OTS Collab. The school year is long. So to break up the grind and let out some steam, we like to have an occasional OTS Collab celebration to acknowledge all the hard work we put in as OT practitioners. Your Community Managers Supporting you to achieve your school-based OT goals, whether you are an experieinced therapist or just getting started in the schools. Jayson Davies, MA, OTR/L Jayson is the host of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast and has been emersed in school-based OT for over a decade. He is a husband, father, and dog dad who loves to spend time with his family. Jayson loves school-based OT because he believes that all students deserve to have access to education no matter their abilities. Jayson aspires to be a school district administrator and have a larger impact on staff development and student success. Favorite OT Model: P-E-O Location: Southern California Pets: TJ, a black lab/staffie Favorite aspect of SBOT Jayson loves seeing teachers have success with students. He believes that it is important for both the student and the teacher, that they succeed together. This builds vital rapport among both individuals. Love of Community As a new therapist, Jayson was fortunate to work in a district where the OTs met monthly. But that didn't happen in his second job. Jayson appreciates the ideas and growth that come as a result of OTs gathering. Interesting fact about Jayson Jayson lacks pain sensation on the left side of his face as a suspected result of trauma to the Trigeminal nerve when he was younger. He attributes this to one of the reasons he wanted to become an OT. Favorite OT Model: Kawa Model Location: Ch icago, Illi nois Favorite Activities: Dancing, outdoor activities, traveling, and reading Chandler Sárközi Chandler is a student, sister, daughter, and friend. She is currently an occupational therapy student completing Level II fieldwork. She loves children and has worked with them most of her adult life. One of her favorite jobs prior to graduate school was working at a non-profit school for Autism that utilized the DIR/Floortime Model. Chandler aspires to one day develop schools and curriculums in underdeveloped and underserved areas of the United States and other countries. She would incorporate her occupational therapy background, mental health, and additional interprofessional studies to enhance effectively collaborate with all staff and families, which will help improve the outcomes of the students. Interesting facts about Chandler Chandler has been a vegetarian since she was five years old and became vegan a couple of years ago. She has played the violin since she was seven and was a part of her school orchestra for eight years. She has also traveled to over 20 countries and over 20 states. OTS Collaborative Community + Professional Development + Mentorship JOIN NOW Important FAQs That's a lot of information. Still, you may have questions. Here are some important ones to know about as you consider joining. Is there a cost to joining OTS Collaborative? Yes. The OTS Collab is a paid membership. The annual membership, at $399 per year, offers the best rate. You can also subscribe at a $120 quarterly rate. Members can cancel their subscriptions at any time inside the community or by clicking here . Do I have to participate in all the live events? How much time does this community require? You can spend as much (or as little) time as you'd like in the community. All events are optional and recorded in case you'd like to watch them at a later time. We host three 1-hour live events each month on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. One of the three events is a live AOTA-approved professional development course. Some members attend each of the three live events and post or comment in the community a few times a week. Other members attend some of the events and occasionally post in the community. You get to choose what works best for you. What platform is used for OTS Collab? We did a ton of research on various membership platforms before making our choice. Ultimately, we chose Circle. Think of Circle as a cross between Facebook Groups and LinkedIn, but without the need to have a profile out in the open. Courses and other events are held on Zoom. Does OT Schoolhouse Collaborative include access to the Back to School Conference? It does not. While the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative includes a great amount of support, it does not include admission to the annual Back to School Conference. However, as an OT Schoolhouse Collaborative member, you will be able to save and get the best available price for the Back to School Conference. Once a member, check out the "Start Here" space for more details. Will professional development be AOTA-approved? All live and recorded professional development courses are AOTA-approved. Podcast Courses are the exception. They will not be approved for AOTA credit, but you can still earn a certificate of completion. As a reminder, NBCOT and most states do not require courses to be approved by AOTA. Be sure to check your state guidelines. Can I earn professional development from the podcast without being an OTS Collab member? Yes, you can. However, we feel that the community aspect within OTS Collab helps therapists to incorporate the knowledge they learn into practical use and student outcomes. Can I register via purchase order? Absolutely. We accept purchase orders for annual membership plans. Click here to learn how. What is the refund policy? We do not offer refunds for OTS Collab. However, you may cancel your subscription at any time. Do you have Community Guidelines? Absolutely, we do. You can read them here. Still have questions? Contact us here. or $39 9 per year Better price per quarter $120 More flexibility Prices will raise in 2025 for new members,s so lock in your rate now. SECURE YOUR SPOT OTS Collaborative Community + Professional Development + Mentorship JOIN NOW

Find courses specific to school-based OT practitioners Courses Included with an OTS Collaborative Membership The OT Schoolhouse Collaborative is our premium membership community where school-based OT practitioners learn and grow together. Members of OTS Collab receive complimentary access to the following live and recorded courses and other monthly programming events designed to help you support your students more effectively. Learn more about OTS Collaborative Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: November 19, 2025 Learn More This course equips school-based occupational therapy practitioners with a practical, ready-to-use framework to stay organized, efficient, and confident throughout the academic year. Participants will gain access to structured checklists for onboarding, daily operations, and year-end transitions, as well as clear guidelines for referrals and discharge planning. Designed specifically for the school setting, the course empowers OTs to streamline documentation, collaborate effectively with teams, and deliver services that are occupation-based and educationally relevant. By taking this course, practitioners will feel more prepared, supported, and aligned with best practices in school-based OT. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hours in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: October 16, 2025 Learn More This session offers an in-depth exploration of the Sensory Pyramid of Learning, breaking down each tier to examine how foundational sensory and motor skills influence student behavior. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how challenges at different levels of the pyramid can manifest in the classroom, affecting attention, emotional regulation, and overall academic performance. Practical strategies for identifying and addressing these challenges will be discussed, empowering educators to create more supportive and effective learning environments. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: September 18, 2025 Learn More Everyday Ethics in School-Based OT: Navigating Challenges with Clarity & Confidence equips school-based occupational therapists with the tools to confidently address real-world ethical dilemmas that arise in educational settings. Through case studies, decision-making frameworks, and updated guidance from AOTA, FOTA, and state-level regulations, participants will strengthen their ability to apply ethical principles to complex situations involving service delivery, documentation, advocacy, and the use of emerging tools like AI. This course enhances professional judgment, reduces uncertainty when facing ethical pressures, and promotes alignment with best practices and legal requirements. Ultimately, attendees will leave with actionable strategies to advocate for ethical change within their districts while maintaining student-centered, legally compliant, and neurodiversity-affirming care. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: September 4, 2025 Learn More Building on the foundational assessment principles from Part 1, this course explores the continuum of assistive technology (AT) tools available to support student participation and access in the school environment. Participants will examine a range of AT solutions, from no-tech adaptations to high-tech computer-based tools, and learn how to match these interventions to student needs. The session will also address the occupational therapist’s role in AT implementation, including collaboration, training, and progress monitoring. Through interactive discussions and case studies, attendees will gain practical strategies for integrating AT into daily routines and educational goals. By the end of the course, therapists will be prepared to effectively support students in utilizing AT for greater independence and academic success. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: August 28, 2025 Learn More This course provides school-based occupational therapy professionals with the knowledge and skills to assess and consider assistive technology (AT) solutions for students with diverse needs. Participants will explore the assessment process, including identifying student abilities, environmental factors, and task demands to determine appropriate AT supports. The course will cover best practices in collaboration with educators, families, and other team members to ensure successful AT integration. Case studies and hands-on activities will enhance practical application, empowering therapists to make informed decisions that promote student participation and independence. By the end of the course, attendees will be equipped with effective strategies for AT assessment and implementation within the school setting. Price Free for members of the OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hours in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: July 16, 2025 Learn More By taking this course, occupational therapy practitioners will be able to analyze national K-3rd grade academic standards and complete a crosswalk with required sensorimotor abilities for students to meet these demands. Furthermore, OT's will leave this course being able to assess and provide interventions embedded within the MTSS format to support student success through addressing foundation sensory perceptual and motor skills whether it be for a classroom, group or individual need. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hours in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: June 25, 2025 Learn More This course will focus on the EMPOWER model, a neurodiversity-focused occupational therapy framework designed to support school-based practice. Participants will learn how to apply the model to better understand and address the lived experiences of neurodivergent students. The session will cover strategies for conducting meaningful assessments, applying models of disablement within school settings, and identifying interventions that are neurodiversity-affirming. By using the EMPOWER model, school-based OTs will gain tools to promote neurodivergent well-being, advocate for anti-ableist practices, and empower students to thrive in an educational environment. This approach encourages practitioners to reflect on their practices and amplify the voices of neurodivergent students, helping them navigate and succeed in a world that can often be disabling. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: May 15, 2025 Learn More Social and emotional development supports a child's occupational engagement in all settings. Occupational therapy practitioners' holistic approach to prevention and positive mental health promotion is ideal for bolstering each core competency of social-emotional learning as defined by CASEL. This presentation will highlight how pediatric occupational therapy practitioners can use evidence-based interventions in each stage of childhood to promote social and emotional development while utilizing a public health, trauma-responsive, and relational (rather than behavioral) approach. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: February 27, 2025 Learn More With increasing workloads, occupational therapy practitioners must utilize existing resources in new ways to support all learners. Balancing the expectations of school-based practice, OTPs often miss recent research and practice trends. Using an OT lens, student support capacity can be enhanced through collaboration and coaching between OTPs and educators through knowledge translation (KT). This presentation will identify ways for OTPs to apply at least one KT strategy within their own schools through the MTSS process. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: January 22, 2025 Learn More As we continue to decrease children’s time and space to move and play outdoors, we are seeing a simultaneous rise in the number of children that are presenting with sensory and motor deficits. At the same time, classroom teachers are observing more and more children having trouble with attention, falling out of their seats in school, increased clumsiness, and even aggressiveness with games like tag on the playground. So, how can we reverse this alarming trend of sensory and motor issues in children? How can we ensure that children are fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses? Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program—that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis—Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help children thrive in outdoor environments using a therapeutic approach to nature play. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: December 19, 2024 Learn More This professional development course explores new insights into autism through the lens of the "intense world" theory. Participants will engage with contemporary perspectives on autism, including challenges related to sensory overload, emotional intensity, and the societal pressures of masking. The course focuses on supporting neurodiverse individuals in educational and social contexts, emphasizing authentic self-expression and meaningful participation. Through interactive discussions, participants will gain practical tools to enhance their ability to support autistic clients while fostering inclusive environments. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: November 12, 2024 Learn More This course will guide occupational therapy Practitioners in assessing fine motor skills by focusing on five often-overlooked areas that provide critical insights into a student's needs and strengths. Participants will learn how to incorporate these key areas into evaluations and reports to better inform intervention strategies. Practical techniques for gathering and applying this information will be shared, empowering OTPs to enhance their assessments. The one-hour presentation offers actionable steps to improve understanding and support of students in school settings. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: October 23, 2024 Learn More Join us as Jayson Davies explores how AI tools can enhance assessment, intervention, and documentation processes to empower OT practitioners to increase student independence and save time. Also, discover innovative use cases for Artificial Intelligence in school-based OT. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve and use this innovative technology in your OT practice! Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: October 15, 2024 Learn More Join us for an engaging panel discussion featuring occupational therapy professionals Kelsey Kornaus, and Jayson Davies as they share their top strategies for a successful start to the school year. Whether you’re a veteran therapist or new to the school environment, this session is designed to equip you with practical tips and insider knowledge to navigate the unique challenges of school-based practice. In this session, they will dive deep into essential topics, including effective caseload management, building strong collaborative relationships with educators and Parents. You'll also gain insights into organizing your time, handling the unexpected, and more! Don’t miss this opportunity to kickstart your school year with confidence and a clear plan. Get ready to leave with actionable strategies that will set you up for success for this school year! Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 2 hour in length. (0.2 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: August 21, 2024 Learn More Sensory integrative processing is foundational to how we learn about our bodies, engage with the environment, interact with others, make meaning out of activities, produce motor responses, and participate in learning. It also has direct links with our regulation and influences our behavior. Yet, deciphering sensory integrative processing-- and the 8 sensory systems that includes-- can be quite challenging. What does sensory integrative processing actually involve? Why is it so vital for behavior responses, emotional regulation, and learning? How can you better understand and influence the sensory integrative processing needs of students, and yourself, to provide occupational therapy services? In our time together we will explore these questions and many more so you will be better equipped to recognize nuances of sensory differences, how a student's emotional regulation holds the key to understanding sensory differences, provide accommodations and adaptations for students with various sensory needs, and utilize another tool by which to view behavior! Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 2 hour in length. (0.2 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: July 24, 2024 Learn More Sensory integrative processing is foundational to how we learn about our bodies, engage with the environment, interact with others, make meaning out of activities, produce motor responses, and participate in learning. It also has direct links with our regulation and influences our behavior. Yet, deciphering sensory integrative processing-- and the 8 sensory systems that includes-- can be quite challenging. What does sensory integrative processing actually involve? Why is it so vital for behavior responses, emotional regulation, and learning? How can you better understand and influence the sensory integrative processing needs of students, and yourself, to provide occupational therapy services? In our time together we will explore these questions and many more so you will be better equipped to recognize nuances of sensory differences, how a student's emotional regulation holds the key to understanding sensory differences, provide accommodations and adaptations for students with various sensory needs, and utilize another tool by which to view behavior! Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 2 hour in length. (0.2 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: June 26, 2024 Learn More As an occupational therapy Practitioner (OTP), understanding sensory processing is crucial in assessing and addressing the diverse needs of individuals. In part 1 of this course, we will discuss the eight sensory systems, including the classic five (vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell) as well as the less-known vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoceptive systems. Participants will learn how sensory information is processed in the areas of modulation, discrimination, and integration, influencing individuals' responses and behaviors. OTPs will gain skills in identifying sensory processing challenges and implementing effective interventions tailored to each individual's sensory profile. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with a comprehensive understanding of sensory processing and its impact on occupational performance across the lifespan. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: May 15, 2024 Learn More Non-academic times of the school day, can be significant contributors to student mental and physical health. Conditions that promote positive mental health include participation in enjoyable activities within caring environments that foster positive emotions (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2018). When students participate in and enjoy healthy recess and after-school leisure activities, have good friends, and perceive school personnel to be supportive, they feel more connected to school which, in turn, enhances academic performance. The aims of this session are to provide detailed information about how to implement the Refreshing Recess (RR) programs emphasizing inclusive participation, friendship promotion, mealtime conversations, healthy eating, and active play; and describe a tiered approach to Making Leisure Matter during after-school times. OTPs will be able to use the Every Moment Counts website to implement Refreshing Recess and promote leisure participation within a tiered model. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: April 17, 2024 Learn More This course describes concepts and strategies from the Size Matters Handwriting Program, a proven curriculum-based approach to teaching handwriting. Proficient writing skills are fundamental for every student, constituting a vital life skill. Writing offers enduring advantages to children, allowing them to showcase their understanding in academic settings, equipping them for prosperous careers ahead, and granting them the ability to articulate their thoughts, emotions, perspectives, and concepts with confidence. Fun ideas will be presented for many subjects to promote peer mentorship, self- monitoring and self-advocacy, as well as functional, legible printing across the curriculum. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: March 18, 2024 Learn More This course offers a deep dive into occupational therapy interventions for teens and young adults in school settings, focusing on executive function difficulties. Participants will learn about identifying and assessing executive function challenges, and the practical application of evidence-based strategies tailored to this age group. Emphasis is placed on collaborative approaches that integrate school, home, and community resources to support students' executive skills. Through a blend of theoretical understanding and case studies, the course equips practitioners with the tools to foster independence, academic success, and smoother transitions to adulthood for students with executive function deficits. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: February 20, 2024 Learn More Sensory modulation, defined as the ability to respond appropriately to sensory information and remain at an appropriate level of alertness, is critical for academic and social success. Research shows that modulation is a skill that can be taught. When viewed within a larger educational framework, sensory modulation is seen as a component of emotional regulation and social-emotional learning. This webinar covers the evidence supporting instruction in sensory modulation, basic concepts and terminology to be used in this instruction, and a specific curriculum available to ensure success in this endeavor. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: January 17, 2024 Learn More Join us for an interactive webinar focused on enhancing writing skills and progress monitoring for students of all backgrounds and abilities. Writing is an essential skill, and every student should be empowered to express their thoughts and ideas effectively. We'll touch upon the Universal Design for Learning concept and introduce various methods of writing. Dive into inclusive strategies for diverse classroom settings and explore efficient progress monitoring. Equip yourself with tools to boost effective communication and writing in students; have pen and paper ready for interactive segments. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: December 13, 2023 Learn More In this 1-hour course, you will learn the five key aspects of a valuable and efficient, top-down, school-based OT evaluation. We will discuss the exact steps you can follow from the point you receive the referral to the point that you are ready to present your findings. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: November 14, 2023 Learn More Do your pediatric clients depend on others to get through their school day? Are they reliant on prizes or adults to be motivated to accomplish tasks? Learned helplessness is a big problem for many children and there is a better way! This course will offer concrete strategies that can be included in current therapy interventions to help clients grow up into self-determined adults. In addition to getting them engaged and motivated, higher levels of self-determination are correlated with positive school, employment and independent living outcomes. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: October 10, 2023 Learn More Occupational Therapy Practitioners possess strongholds of sensory processing and underlying neurological processes, They understand constructs from contemporary neuroscience, illuminating the essential role of the vestibular system for neural networking that supports learning and communication. Learners of this course will receive theoretical foundations as well as evidence from contemporary neuroscience so that they will expand their understanding of how the interventions support the mechanism of change - neuroplasticity, which results from the vestibular activation in an otherwise underperforming vestibular system. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: September 21, 2023 Learn More Effectively navigating the RTI process will allow support for students, teachers and families as well as impact the appropriateness of related service referrals. Increase your knowledge of the RTI process through the history, federal and state law, and tiered components. Learn to incorporate specific, increasing intensity of instruction with evidence-based interventions to match a students needs within each tier. These supports may increase a student's success within the general education curriculum and the need for referrals to a specialized instructional service. Incorporating successful strategies for communication and advocacy with leadership, time management, and resources for therapeutic interventions may break down barriers. The result is a win-win for the administration, therapist, teacher, and student. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: August 16, 2023 Learn More Dr. Gibbs provides an overview of Trauma Informed Care and introduces the ACTION from Trauma Approach. The approach maps out neurological connections to further enhance understanding of the underlying mechanisms influencing behavior following exposure to trauma. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: July 20, 2023 Learn More At this point, virtually everyone has heard that mindfulness is a tool for mental health, and you may have even tried meditation or yoga for yourself. Mindfulness practices are increasingly being introduced into educational programs, and for good reason because the research is mounting for the positive impact on children and the professionals that serve them. In this introductory course, you will learn about the evidence for using mindfulness for children, teachers, and children in particular. You will learn about the brain science that links mindfulness and executive function. Lastly, you will walk away with some practices that you can bring to the classroom that will be as good for you as they are for the students you serve. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1 hour in length. (0.1 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: June 21, 2023 Learn More Participants will deepen their knowledge of working with students with visual impairments. Information will include an overview of the sensory systems and how sensory information is processed differently for students with visual impairments. Participants will gain an understanding of common sensory characteristics expressed by students with visual impairments while learning how to assess and develop strength-based collaborative intervention strategies. Price Free for members of OTS Collaborative Duration This course is 1.5 hour in length. (0.15 AOTA CEUs) Live (recorded) on: May 17, 2023 Learn More OTPs are often asked to assess sensory functions of children on their caseload, even though sensory integration is an advance practice area. Practitioners that take this course will receive an introduction to sensory functions and their impact on children's ability to participate in their school settings, with a focus on sensory perception and praxis. Assessment strategies will be reviewed, as well as basic interpretation of data and goal development. OTPs will have a deeper understanding of the complexity of sensory integrative issues, and strategies of how they can further develop and refine their own practice. Learn more

Join us as Jayson Davies, MA, OTR/L, shares how AI tools can support school-based OT assessments, interventions, and documentation processes. By using AI to reduce the hours we spend on paperwork, we increase the amount of time we spend with our students. We'll cover current and evolving research, ethical considerations, and practical use cases for AI in school-based OT. Also, discover innovative use cases for Artificial Intelligence in school-based OT through an interactive demonstration. Stay ahead of the curve and use this innovative technology in your OT practice!