This week, in honor of Occupational Therapy Month, I’m sharing my journey as an OT advocate. When I decided to be a school OT, I didn’t realize that I literally had NO chance of advancing past being a school OT. After the shock of the realization wore off, I tried to do something about it. I failed. Years later, I’ve picked back up where I left off, and NOW, I’m making sure that everyone knows about this inequity.

In most states in the US, School OTps and PTs aren’t permitted to be leaders in the school setting.

Think about what your school would be like if they were  allowed to take the coursework and advance to leadership positions. 

Would the OTps and PTs be working in the hall or would they have a designated work space with a budget for supplies? 

Would the therapists still be contracted, or would they be fully included in staff meetings, interdisciplinary collaboration, and multi-tier system supports?

Maybe your schedule would be based on your workload, with actual time slots for paperwork, teacher consultations, and team meetings.

Things would look really different for OTps and PTs, but more importantly, it would be so much better for the children.  

 

 

My Journey As an Accidental Advocate

 

Occupational and physical therapy practitioners have equal qualifications and similar roles to school social workers, psychologists, counselors, and speech-language pathologists. 

But we don’t have equal opportunities in the school setting. The other professions are included in the category of “teachers” under the state education department. This means they can pursue the coursework to become an educational administrator if they wish. 

But occupational and physical therapists aren’t allowed to advance to leadership positions. This is professional inequity.  To grant certain professions opportunities, while denying others with equal qualifications the same opportunities creates a stigma of inferiority. It’s downright wrong. It needs to change. 

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