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What (or Who) is Guiding School-Based Practice in PA? POTA Conference October 18, 2019 Paula McNamara, MS, OTR/L Katie Landsiedel, OTD, OTR/L
What (or Who) is Guiding School-Based Practice in PA?
POTA Conference October 18, 2019
Paula McNamara, MS, OTR/L
Katie Landsiedel, OTD, OTR/L
Objectives
➔ Participants will identify current school-based occupational therapy practices established by other states including CT and NC
➔ Participants will explore and identify other state occupational therapy guidelines applicable to Pennsylvania
➔ Participants will share relevant practice insight through peer discussions
➔ Participants will contribute to the formulation of a plan to develop practice guidelines for school-based occupational therapy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Structure of this session
➔ Introduction
➔ Highlighting AOTA’s Best Practice
➔ Discussion of what other states have done to create school-based guidelines
➔ Breakout Discussion Groups
➔ What are our next steps?
Who are we and how did we get here?
Paula McNamara, MS, OTR/LPOTA Vice [email protected]
Katie Landsiedel, OTD, OTR/LPOTA District III Executive [email protected]
Who are you?
Where are you from?
What are you hoping for?
AOTA Guidelines for School-Based Practice➔ Workload vs Caseload
◆ IEPs◆ 504s◆ Response to Intervention (RtI)
➔ AOTA Best Practices for School-Based Practice◆ Webinar:
https://www.aota.org/Publications-News/AOTANews/2019/how-to-make-changes-to-school-based-practice.aspx
➔ AOTA Letter: OT Leadership in Schools◆ https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Children/Resources/AOTA-School-L
eadership-Track-Both-20170814.pdf
What is currently in place in PA?
➔ PA Document from 1995
➔ PA Licensure Board Newsletter◆ https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/LicensingServices/2009/OccupationalJune20
09.pdf
➔ AOTA: OT and PT State Guidelines for School-Based Practice◆ https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Secure/Practice/Children/State-Guidelines-S
chool-Based-Practice-20170513.pdf
◆ PA Document: The Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania: A Guide for Parents and Advocates (Education Law Center, 2014)
What have other states done?
North Carolina
➔ NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) led initiative for guidelines with an OT consultant to NCDPI
➔ Workload Analysis (with time studies) with a shift to replace caseloads
➔ Timeline◆ 1 year to write initial timelines in 2007
◆ OTs wrote it then it was vetted by DPI Policy folks and posted
◆ 3-4 months for revision in 2011
➔ Formulas to set workload for practitioners
➔ Guidelines for Providing OT in North Carolina Public Schools
Connecticut
➔ Established relationship with CT Department of Education
➔ “Town Hall” meetings held across the state
➔ Writing and Editing groups designated ◆ 3 hours per week in the summer
◆ Very driven group with outlines for sections, drafts/revisions, and timelines for edits
➔ Timeline: 6 years
➔ Guidelines for OT in Connecticut Schools
Illinois
➔ Network of OT and PT Coordinators from across the state
➔ Worked directly with the Illinois State Board of Education
➔ Timeline◆ Original document (2-3 years); completed in 2003
◆ Revised document (5 years); completed in 2019
◆ 3 tiers of reviewers, in addition to a legal review
➔ Recommended Practices for Occupational and Physical Therapy Services in Illinois Schools
Break out
➔ Each group will be assigned to review a document from a specific state
◆ North Carolina, Connecticut, Illinois
➔ Guiding Discussion Questions◆ What do you like about the document; format, organization, presentation
◆ What constructive criticism can you offer about the document?
◆ What areas do you feel are most important in the document?
◆ Are there any additional areas or ideas to be added?
➔ Highlight key points or areas of importance in documents!
Priority Areas
Next Steps
Steps in Process May Occur
Simultaneously
Acknowledgements
➔ Lauren Holahan, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA◆ North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
➔ Joyce Rioux, EdD, OTR/L, SCSS◆ Strategic Planning Committee Member; Connecticut
➔ Cheryl Huber Lee, OTR/L◆ SASED OT and PT Coordinator; Illinois
➔ Sandra Schefkind, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA◆ Pediatric Program Manager, Professional Affairs Division, AOTA
References
A complete list of References is available upon request
