Occupational Therapy
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Occupational Therapist - School Based. 19801 Wilmington DE
Occupational Therapist - School Based. 19801 Wilmington DE
Apply now!
Enter your zipcode and commute range below to find positions near you!
Occupational Therapist - School Based. 19801 Wilmington DE
Occupational Therapist - School Based. 19801 Wilmington DE
Paying attention to—and following—teachers’ directions. Organizing textbooks, notebooks, and other supplies. Engaging peers in class discussions, over lunch in the cafeteria, and on the playground at recess. These activities and more of daily living, or “occupations,” come naturally to some students. Others need help.In school-based Occupational Therapy jobs, you’ll be giving it!
How a School-Based Occupational Therapist (OT) Helps Students
In the educational setting, a licensed Occupational Therapist helps students develop and strengthen skills needed to access the curriculum and succeed academically and socially in school, including:- Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills involve making movements with the small muscles of the hands and wrists—using a pencil, cutting with scissors, and so on.
- Visual-Perceptual Skills These are the skills the brain uses to make sense of what the eyes see: spatial relations, sequential memory, differentiating between objects, and more. Learning numbers and letters, playing with blocks, and picking out the color crayon you want, are a few common school occupations demanding visual-perceptual skills.
- Cognitive Skills Cognitive skills are thinking skills. They let students attend to teachers’ instructions, remember information, solve problems, make decisions, and remain aware of their safety.
- Sensory Processing Skills These skills allow the brain to integrate and respond to input from the sensory systems.
An Overview of Occupational Therapy Programs’ Requirements
To become a licensed Occupational Therapist, you must earn an entry-level Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy (MOT). Doing so usually takes two to three years of full-time study in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE©). Your coursework will include, among other areas:- Theoretical and practical foundations
- Screening, evaluation, and research techniques
- Therapy interventions
- Clinical neuroscience
- Orthotics, prosthetics, and biomechanical applications
- Community-centered OT
- Professional development
Passing the National Certification Exam for Occupational Therapists
Once you earn your degree, you’ll need to pass the NBCOT® Certification Examination. NBCOT is the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, and it administers a similar, separate exam for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs). The test measures your entry-level competence in these four domains:- Evaluation and Assessment (25% of the exam)
- Analysis and Interpretation (23%)
- Intervention Management (37%)
- Competency and Practice Management (15%)