School-based occupational therapy is designed to enhance the student’s ability to fully access and be successful in the learning environment. In NBSS partner schools, occupational therapists collaborate with the student, parents, teachers, SNAs and other professionals with the goal of achieving the best school experience possible for the student. This resource gives an overview of occupational therapy in schools.
Incorporating planned ‘movement breaks’ within lesson plans is an effective way of ‘feeding’ the students’ sensory systems and maintaining their levels of alertness. This resource contains information and examples on how 'movement breaks' can be incorporated into any classroom.
Writing is a complex task requiring the synthesis and integration of appropriately developed sensorimotor, perceptual and cognitive skills. Deficiencies in any of these skill areas can have a subsequent negative effect on a student’s ability to effectively produce handwriting of a functional quality. This resource contains information and useful tips on posture, funtional grasp patterns and writing aids.
The Alert Program (Williams & Shellenberger, 1996) is a systematic intervention that helps students to identify their own sensory needs and preferences and provides them with the tools to take responsibility for self-regulation. The Alert Program was adapted and piloted in 17 NBSS partner schools. It was designed to be delivered by NBSS Behaviour for Learning teachers as part of a programme of support provided to students who require NBSS Level 2 targeted behavioural interventions. This research project set out to capture the teacher and student perspectives on the adapted version of The Alert Program and its perceived relevance for students with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties requiring a NBSS Level 2 targeted intervention.
NBSS team members, representing the teaching and occupational therapy professions, developed Movement Matters as an individual, intensive movement based programme. It was designed to particularly support and develop the behaviour for learning skills of those students who present as inattentive, fidgety, hyperactive and/or restless in class. Movement Matters was piloted in 11 NBSS partner schools. This report presents the theoretical basis of Movement Matters, the methods that were used to test the programme in the feasibility study and the findings drawn from both the teacher and students who participated in the study.