The team provides support and specialist input for a number of schools in the area.
Hadrian and Sir Charles Parson Schools
Occupational therapists work closely with the whole school team, providing advice and support so that each child has access to an optimal learning environment.
This helps promote and develop key day-to-day skills, enabling children to be as independent as possible and reach their full potential.
Assessment is provided for:
- Sensory processing skills
- Gross motor skills
- Fine motor skills, including handwriting
- Self-care and life skills
- Specialist equipment needs, for example sensory items, adapted cutlery / pens, self-care items, seating.
This will be carried out mainly by observing the child in the classroom and playground, and through obtaining information from the child / young person, parents and teaching staff. Some formal, standardised assessments may also take place if required.
The type of therapy advised and provided may include:
- Individual programmes, tailored for the child and delivered by the class team
- Individual therapy sessions
- Group therapy sessions
- Collaborative working and input involving other professionals, for example physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, nursing care.
- Liaising with school staff to conduct reviews and updates on the therapy plan.
- Input into any Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
- Writing reports and attending reviews, as required.
- Transition support for any changes in school environment.
- Training for school staff.
Thomas Bewick School
The service we provide to Thomas Bewick School supports children who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), from reception to age 16 and over.
In the school setting, we provide advice and support to staff, to help maximize the child’s ability to access learning and education.
Children with autism often present with sensory processing difficulties. They may be over or under sensitive to sensory stimuli such as touch, taste or sound, disrupting their ability to make sense of the world. This can impact on the child’s readiness to learn and lead to behavioral difficulties.
Occupational therapy aims to determine which sensory systems are affected and how this is impacting on potential to learn and develop. The aim is to support the child to be regulated and settled in school so that they are ready to engage and learn.
Children with ASD can have difficulties with language and communication and we work with other professionals to help the child better engage in both school and with any other therapeutic input. Because social interaction is difficult, understanding the child’s sensory needs and motivations can help support engagement and interactions.
Referrals to the occupational therapy team are made by the school’s teaching staff, with the aim of:
- Providing assessment, advice, strategies and equipment to meet a child’s sensory needs within the school setting.
- Encouraging the child to feel safe and settled at school .
- Maximising the child’s ability to learn, develop social and personal independence.
