Criteria are applied separately to each performance area of concern identified by the educational team. Performance areas include manipulation of school related materials (hand use, organization), communication (printing, cursive, keyboarding, augmented), interpretation of body senses (self regulation, attending skills), self-maintenance (dressing, feeding, hygiene), mobility and postural control (assisted alternative positions, movement), socialization/adaptive behavior.

After identifying the performance area to be addressed. All the following criteria mustbe met to target an area for intervention by a physical or occupational therapist.

1. Area of concern significantly interferes with the student’s ability to participate in the educational program.
2. Area of concern appears to be caused by limitations in occupational/ physical (motor) performance components.
3. Previous attempts to alleviate the concern have not been successful, as documented.
4. Potential for change through intervention appears possible (e.g. change unrelated to maturity).
5. Unique expertise of therapist is required to meet student’s identified need.

After reassessment, the following criteria are applied by the educational team to determine when an identified performance area (see examples above) is no longer targeted for intervention by a physical or occupational therapist.

The identified performance area must meet one of the criteria. If new performance areas are identified, the criteria are utilized as described above.

1. Goals and outcomes requiring occupational or physical therapy intervention have been met and no additional goals are appropriate.
2. Potential for further change as a result of therapy intervention appears unlikely.
3. Area of concern ceases to be educationally relevant.
4. Therapist’s intervention is contraindicated due to medical, physical, psychological or social complications.
5. Unique expertise of therapist is no longer required to meet student’s identified need.
   

Physical and occupational therapists promote the acquisition of education, work, play and leisure related activities as they relate to school expectations.

Occupational therapists facilitate the development of self-maintenance tasks including feeding, eating, dressing and hygiene. Areas of assessment and intervention also include motor performance (manipulation of school related materials and educational tasks), neuromusculoskeletal components (movement and postural control), sensory awareness and processing (attending skills), utilization of assistive technology and adaptive behavior.

Physical therapists facilitate the development of functional movement skills including adapting equipment for mobility and positioning. Areas of assessment and intervention also include motor performance (safety and alternative positions), neuromusculoskeletal components (movement and postural control), architectural accessibility, utilization of appropriate assistive devices (wheelchairs, walkers, adapted seating and work spaces), transfers, and transportation (school and community).

Occupational and physical therapists assist the educational team in the problem solving process as it relates to educationally relevant behaviors/tasks expected within the student’s educational program. (See form titled “Request for Therapist to Join the Problem Solving Team”.) They participate with the team in supporting the student’s learning. They help develop and implement interventions. The effectiveness of these interventions is tested through ongoing data collection and analysis. This database measurement assesses the intervention efficacy, enables the team to focus on meaningful long-term outcomes and assists in decision making. This process focuses on functional assessment (the student’s performance and the expectations of the school environment). The therapists, as members of the educational team, assist the team and parents to write individualized goals and objectives and identify educational accommodations and adaptations.

Occupational and physical therapists provide intervention using a flexible model of individual, integrated and consultative services. Intervention is provided through flexible scheduling across various educational environments. Therapists strive to provide intervention in the natural and least restrictive environment for each student. Interventions are designed to promote successful inclusion of each student in school and the community.

Intervention is not based on standardized testing and deficit determination. Instead the emphasis is on expeditiously determining the performance area of concern, the expected measurable behavior, the intervention plan, and the effectiveness of the plan with ongoing revision of the plan when appropriate. Revision of the intervention plan may lead to further intervention regarding other performance areas of concern or discontinuation of input from the therapist when the educational program no longer needs the therapist’s support to implement the interventions.

The most efficient way to expedite the intervention plan may vary from a therapist’s high frequency interaction with a short duration to a therapist’s low frequency interaction over a long duration. When the physical and/or occupational therapist is participating in the intervention plan, the factors considered when determining the amount of time to be spent on behalf of the student include:

• Potential to benefit from the unique expertise of the therapist.
• Critical period of skill acquisition or regression related to area of concern.
• Degree to which intervention plan can be implemented by others, in addition to therapist.
• Amount of training to be provided by therapist to others assisting with intervention plan.
• Amount the area of concern interferes with educational program.