What are school-based therapy services?
For children and teenagers, the ability to nourish friendships and interact with their peer group is essential for promoting healthy social skills and development. When a child is living with a physical or mental health condition like autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, or visual and hearing impairments, it can be more difficult for them to access and enjoy these opportunities.
School based therapy is an excellent way to help children of all backgrounds enjoy school while ensuring they get the individualized support they need. Read on to learn more.
What is School Based Therapy?
School based therapy includes a wide range of meaningful interventions and services that help differently-abled children feel more successful with what they need and want to do within the school environment. These services are provided in both individual and group settings, and may take place anywhere in school, from the classroom to the lunchroom to the playground…and even on field trips!
Our school based service providers work in a range of settings, including public, charter, and private schools, and daycare and preschool facilities. Specific disciplines that are typically involved in school based care include:
- Pediatric speech therapy
- Pediatric occupational therapy
- Pediatric physical therapy
School therapy providers like occupational therapists and speech therapists work in close collaboration with a child’s entire team, including parents/caregivers, educators, and doctors, to ensure each child receives personalized support and ultimately builds a positive association with school.
How School Based Therapy Can Benefit Your Child
For a child—whose primary “occupations” include playing and being a student—school is an essential part of their young life. School based therapy can help them gain the confidence and skills needed to feel like a success in this important setting.
Specifically, school therapy services can help children develop mastery and gain greater independence in areas like:
- Personal care: staying organized, feeding, dressing
- Interpersonal interactions: following rules, expressing needs, picking up on social cues, asking for help, playing, sharing, turn-taking
- Learning and processing skills: following instructions and multimodal cues, completing assignments, time management, reading and comprehension
- Fine and gross motor skills: manipulating utensils and other school supplies, using technology, negotiating community level distances, using playground equipment
- Community integration: field trips, vocational training, volunteering
School therapy providers use a range of techniques to help students achieve these objectives, from therapeutic exercises to role-playing. The specific techniques your child may receive will depend on their unique strengths, areas to improve, and health and wellness goals.
Wondering If Your Child Could Benefit From School Based Therapy Services?
Therapeutic Potentials, Inc. is a leading provider of pediatric occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. It’s our privilege to support children and their caregivers from throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties by providing excellence in care and a comprehensive, customized therapeutic experience to help every child thrive.
If you’d like to learn more about individual or group school therapy services for your child and how to get started, contact TPI today at 941-758-3140 to speak with our dedicated team of providers.
