What is the Difference between Physical and Occupational Therapy

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What is the Difference between Physical and
Occupational Therapy?
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Special and general educators carry many roles,
including observing child development from many
different perspectives. A teacher may refer a
student for a speech evaluation, cognitive
testing, or a behavior assessment. While these
performance areas seem distinct, teachers are
often uncertain if they should refer a child for
physical or occupational therapy since there is
sometimes overlap between the two professions.
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Overview

• Both occupational and physical therapists are
  licensed professionals who graduated from an
  accredited program (occupational therapy is an
  entry-level masters or doctorate, and physical
  therapy is a doctoral-level degree). In a school
  setting, occupational and physical therapy are
  added to a qualifying childs plan to support
  their educational outcomes. For example, suppose
  a child has an abnormal gait pattern but can
  still navigate their classroom environment safely
  and efficiently. In that case, they may not
  qualify for school-based physical therapy.
• Note If a students occupational or physical
  therapy needs do not involve their ability to
  access their education, they may be a better
  candidate for outpatient therapy.

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What is Physical Therapy?

• Balance Navigating the classroom without
  falling.
• Mobility Climbing the stairs safely.
• Strength Having the postural control to maintain
  a sitting posture at the desk or floor.
• Stability Stabilizing the core body and joints
  so the child can kick a ball (hip joint) or cut
  with scissors (shoulder joint).

• A physical therapist (PT) evaluates and treats a
  students physical motor skills. After
  evaluation, a physical therapist creates a plan
  of care and works with students to improve motor
  skills. A physical therapist may recommend
  adaptive equipment to enhance students ability
  to access their motor skills in the classroom.
  Examples of physical therapy intervention may
  include

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What is Occupational Therapy?
An occupational therapist (OT) also evaluates and
treats students, but instead of focusing on
physical motor skills, they support participation
in meaningful activities. During the school day,
activities might include lessons, lunch, social
participation, transitions, specials, and more.
An OT creates an intervention plan to build
student skills, change the activity, or modify
the environment for successful student
participation. Some examples of occupational
therapy intervention include
Handwriting
Sensory processing
Holding a pencil
Dressing
Using visual motor skills to use lines to create
letters and align the letters on the baseline.
Integrating all of the sensory information in a
classroom in a way that is adaptive and doesnt
inhibit their participation.
Using visual motor skills to use lines to
create letters and aligning the letters on the
baseline.
Independently dressing for classroom transitions,
including recess or toileting.
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Contact Information
Get in touch with us
Phone Number 978-681-6605 Email
Address kioko_at_kiokocenter.com Website kiokocenter
.com