A Profile of Occupational Therapists Working in School-BasedPractice in Australian Primary Schools

This article examined the current role of Occupational Therapists working within Australian primary schools and explored how school-based OT services are evolving within inclusive education systems. The study found that demand for school-based Occupational Therapy is increasing as schools seek greater support for participation, inclusion, emotional regulation and classroom engagement for students with diverse needs.

Researchers highlighted that Occupational Therapists working within schools are increasingly involved in collaborative consultation, classroom observations, environmental modifications, teacher support and whole-school wellbeing initiatives rather than only providing isolated one-on-one therapy sessions. The article suggests children benefit from school-based OT because support occurs within familiar and meaningful environments where therapists can directly observe participation challenges and provide practical strategies during real classroom activities and routines. Families also appeared to benefit because school-based services improve communication between therapists, teachers and caregivers, helping create more consistent and achievable support strategies across home and school environments. Schools benefited through increased access to professional consultation, practical classroom supports, sensory and environmental recommendations and collaborative planning that helps teachers better support students with additional needs.

The article also discussed tiered models of support, where Occupational Therapists can contribute to universal classroom supports, targeted small-group interventions and intensive individual therapy depending on student needs. Importantly, the research suggests children are more likely to thrive when support is proactive, integrated and participation-focused, rather than reactive or separated from the school environment.

Overall, the article strongly supports the idea that integrated school-based Occupational Therapy helps create more inclusive, supportive and responsive educational environments where children can participate more successfully both academically and socially.

You can read the article here:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1155/2024/2077870