Occupational Therapy within the educational system
The Stepping Ahead Clinic works with schools and education providers all over Cork city, county and beyond to provide specialist therapeutic assistance to staff and pupils. We have a range of tailor made services for each educational stage, from pre-school right through to third level.
Pre- school
- Consultation with school staff on developing a specific child’s needs and developing a school program to support the child’s sensory, motor and emotional development
- Training for staff on understanding diagnoses and education about specific needs of a child
- Training so that school staff and tutors can complete sensory diets / school programmes and completing intervention sessions in a pre-school, to benefit the child and simultaneously provide staff training.
- Accessing Department of Education Resources in anticipation of primary school.
Primary School Services
Accessing Department of Education Resources:
All Occupational Therapy reports are Department of Education recognised. When a child meets the criteria for certain diagnoses by an Occupational Therapist, where appropriate, they can access resources or support such as:
- Special Needs Assistants
- Resource hours
- Learning support
- Specialised equipment such as slope boards, cushions, specialised seating
- Specialist technology e.g. use of a laptop
- Movement breaks and sensory breaks
Screening within schools:
Often, schools may have several children within many classes that they think may need an Occupational Therapy assessment or screening. At the Stepping Ahead Clinic, we offer a unique service whereby we can screen children within schools, over the period of a morning or full day.
We offer Training Sessions at your school for Teachers and / or Parents Associations tailor made to your request – some useful topics to cover include:
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction and DCD (Training and classroom approaches)
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction and DCD (Completing intervention within a school setting)
- Developing your own sensory-motor group (different to gross motor)
- The OT approach to handwriting skills
- The OT approach to social skills
- The OT approach to motor planning and gross motor skills
- The OT approach to organisational skills
Groups run by an Occupational Therapist within a school:
These benefit the children involved and provide training for any teachers who wish to assist or to view the group. The groups we complete in this manner include:
- Sensory-motor Social skills
- Gross Motor and Motor Planning skills
- Handwriting Level 1
- Handwriting Level 2
One-on-one sessions:
Individual sessions for specific children are also available to be facilitated within schools. The following Professionals are available to contract to schools:
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Paediatric Fitness Instructor
- Counsellor / Parenting Plus
- Art Therapist
Secondary Schools
Accessing Department of Education Resources:
All Occupational Therapy reports are Department of Education recognised. When a child meets the criteria for certain diagnoses by an Occupational Therapist, where appropriate, they can access resources or support such as:
- Special Needs Assistants
- Resource hours
- Learning support
- Specialised equipment such as slope boards, cushions, specialised seating
- Specialist technology e.g. use of a laptop
- Movement breaks and sensory breaks
- Access to the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) programme for entry into Third Level Education
Screening within schools:
Often, schools may have several teenagers within many classes or years that they think may need an Occupational Therapy assessment or screening. At the Stepping Ahead Clinic, we offer a unique service whereby we can screen children within schools, over the period of a morning or full day.
Training Sessions for Teachers and / or Parents Associations tailor made to your request – some useful topics to cover include:
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction and DCD (Training and classroom approaches)
- Sensory Integration Dysfunction and DCD (Completing intervention within a school setting)
- Developing your own sensory-motor group (different to gross motor)
- The OT approach to social skills
- The OT approach to organisational skills
Groups run by an Occupational Therapist within a school:
These benefit the teenager involved and provide training for any teachers who wish to assist or to view the group. The groups we complete in this manner include:
- Individual sessions for particular teenagers are also available to be run within schools.
- Fine motor skills for handwriting and typing speed
- Higher level social and conversation skills
- Sensory-motor groups
- Gross motor and fitness groups
- Organisation and study skills
The following Professionals are available to contract to schools.
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Paediatric Fitness Instructor
- Counsellor / Parenting Plus
- Art Therapist
Third Level
- Organisational skills (time and belongings)
- Independent study skills (how to structure time / how to structure assignments)
- Social skills and social confidence
We can also assist adults in Third Level Education in the areas of reasonable accommodation and support for clients when attending faculty meetings and training sessions to advise staff about their condition (if applicable).
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