In-School vs. Clinical Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Why does my child not qualify for in-school services if they get occupational therapy at an outpatient clinic?
My child already gets OT in school. Do they still need outpatient therapy?
These are common questions parents ask regarding occupational therapy. However, trying to get the best treatment for your child or understanding how best to help them may feel frustrating or overwhelming. The first step is to understand the difference between school and clinic OT.
School Occupational Therapy
In-school OT aims to help a child with their education. The child must have an IEP (Individualized Education Program) that details the accommodations and goals of therapy and how these accommodations allow a child to participate equally as a student. Parents, teachers, and therapists are all involved in determining areas of focus.
So, a child may have sensory or behavior issues. Still, if those don't interfere with their ability to participate in school, they will not qualify for in-school services. In school therapy, a therapist can treat any area affecting a child's learning ability. Treatment areas could include time management, emotional regulation, fine motor skills, sensory processing, etc.
The final difference is that the school pays for these services.
Clinic (Outpatient) Occupational Therapy
The goal of outpatient OT is to help a child with their daily occupations. Therefore, treatment goals in outpatient therapy could overlap with school goals. After an initial evaluation, the OT will recommend treatment goals with the parent's help.
Daily occupations such as toileting, bathing, eating, and getting ready for bed are treated in Outpatient OT. Clinic OT is also great if your child needs more frequent treatment and one-on-one time with a therapist. Overall, outpatient OT focuses on life skills in all areas of life, not just those that pertain to education.
Finally, the parent or guardian is responsible for paying for this therapy with the help of insurance.
Conclusion
Whether your child gets in-school OT, outpatient OT, or both, occupational therapy aims to help them be the most successful versions of themselves. Evaluations are set in place to provide your child with what they need. Due to this, your child may be seeing an OT in the clinic but may not qualify for in-school services. They are doing fine on their own. On the other hand, your child may have in-school therapy but still need to address different life skills outside of the school setting.
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Greutman, Heather. “Difference Between School Based and Clinic Based Occupational Therapy Services,” Growing Hands-On Kids, 5 September 2016, https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/difference-school-based-clinic-based-occupational-therapy-services.html