Visual Perceptual Motor Skills Addressed

Skills addressed in O.T. sessions vary according to each student and are identified through an O.T. evaluation as well as observations made by an LPS Occupational Therapist. These skills are worked on through the use of a wide variety of techniques ranging from arts and craft projects, pencil and paper work and board games to strengthening and coordination exercises.

Activities in the Sensorimotor Room are implemented using a sensory integrative or perceptual motor approach and may include obstacle courses, activity stations, exercises, and therapeutic games. Various types of therapeutic equipment are used such as scoot.er boards, balance beams, body socks, a trampoline, therapy balls and several types of swings.

Thinking Maps are incorporated into treatment sessions to assist with organizing and completing presented activities.

Middle School Occupational Therapy

What skills are addressed in Work Center/ O.T.?

• Skills and accommodations for sensory, motor and visual perceptual limitations
• Executive functioning skills such as task initiation, organization, sequencing and problem solving
• Self-esteem, social skill development and self-awareness as related to the students sense of independence in school and at home
  
  
  
  

How are these skills addressed?
These skill areas are addressed within the context of practical learning experiences. Students engage in various activities involving students’ interests, life skills and age appropriate “jobs”. Students may be involved in the floowing activities in Work Center/ O.T:

• Calendar/monthly planner skills activities
• Phone skills activities
• Basic cooking skills
• Off-campus activities such as food shopping
• Office type tasks
• School/community service activities

Involvement in these activities facilitates the development of Work Center/ O.T. skills. Work related vocabulary and basic work behaviors are emphasized throughout the curriculum.

• Organizational tools such as To do lists, calendars and task cards help students to initiate, problem solve, sequence and organize tasks.
• Thinking Maps are incorporated into activities to assist students with initiation, organization, sequencing, problem solving and overall independence.

Skills Rating sheets are completed at the end of each class to give students feedback on their performance in various skills areas such as attitude, initiation, independence, work quality and task completion.

The ACT Program
(Activate/Calm/Think)

Many of the children in our Elementary and Middle School Program have mild to significant issues with sensory processing and modulating their level of arousal. These difficulties can have a significant impact on the student’s readiness to learn, ability to focus, and overall performance in the classroom. The ot. Department at LPS has developed a simple program to assist the teaching faculty with the implementation of some strategies that can be utilized in the classroom and therapy sessions. These activities will hopefully help students “Activate/ Calm /Think” and therefore prepare their systems to learn.

The ACT Program was introduced in November 2006 to all Elementary and Middle school faculty. A school-wide presentation was conducted and received support and enthusiasm. Specific exercises and activities were demonstrated, posters were provided (including pictures of students performing the exercises), and “fidget boxes” were provided for every teacher. These exercises/activities may be done at the start of each class as part of the students’ routine upon entering the classroom. Or, the activities can be done during the midpoint of the period or during class transitions if the teacher determines it may be beneficial in order to re-focus the students. These activities will also provide much needed and legitimate “movement breaks” in a structured manner.

It is hoped that the program will become a natural part of the classroom activities and can be incorporated into the curriculum as we have with Thinking Maps. In this way, the students will also learn to independently utilize some of these strategies in school as well as ot.her areas of their lives.

The program consists of five simple exercises that can be done in a variety of ways. Each exercise is designed to provide specific sensory input which have a “grounding” effect as well as provide ot.her sensory stimulation.

Specific exercises are the following:

1. Deep Breath with stretch
2. Chair Push-ups
3. Elbow Squeezes
4. Leg Squeezes
5. Shake Hands
6. Weighted Beanbag Toss (can be combined with a classroom activity)
The activities are beneficial WITHOUT requiring any specialized equipment or large classroom space. A beanbag is the only item needed for the six exercises.

The faculty was encouraged to initially choose a particular group of their students who appear to have the most difficulty making transitions (either at the start of class or when changing activities during class). Most classes and students would benefit from this program and it is hoped that benefits will be seen with the target groups and then utilized more globally.

After the initial training presentation, staff was encouraged to begin the implementation of the program. Checklists were provided for staff to give feedback regarding benefits of the program and ongoing consultation has been provided as needed within the classroom.

Training for Students:

• Exercises have been incorporated /reinforced during ot./Work Center sessions for all students who receive direct services by the ot. Department
• An ot. was assigned to every Social Studies class in order to train all students within a classroom setting.
• Some students (selected by the ot.) participated in the classroom training sessions as assistants.