Have you ever thought about the shifts that have happened throughout the history of Occupational Therapy in the schools? Occupational therapy has been a part of the school systems since the ‘70s when legislation was enacted at the national level.

In this episode of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, we will discuss several shifts in this field within the past 40 years.

Our guest today is Julie Bissell, OTD, OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA, one of the occupational therapists who jumped into the schools early on to address the educational model in schools. Julie discusses transitioning from a medical model to an educational model and shares how we can facilitate participation and help the children perform in the least restrictive environment.

We will also discuss an article she co-wrote titled Frameworks, Models and Trends in School-Based. This publication discusses a few frameworks within occupational therapy and relates them specifically to school-based practices in individual states and the United States. Also, stay tuned as she enlightens us about an Israeli handwriting assessment and how she assisted in translating this fun card game into English.

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View the show resources and learn how to earn your certificate for listening at OTSchoolhouse.com/episode108

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