The OT Schoolhouse Podcast for School-Based OT Practitioners

If you're a school-based occupational therapy practitioner feeling burnt out, dysregulated, or overwhelmed by your caseload, this episode is for you. Robyn Chu, MOT, OTR/L, author of Sensory Wellness: The Art and Science of Thriving , joins us to flip the traditional sensory conversation on its head. Instead of focusing solely on how to support students' sensory needs, Robyn discusses ho...

Struggling to figure out how occupational therapy fits within your school's MTSS framework? In this episode, Dr. Courtney Boitano shares findings from two groundbreaking studies on sensory processing interventions for kindergarten and fifth-grade students. As a faculty member at San Jose State University and a school-based OT with over 15 years of experience, Courtney provides practical insig...

Are you still relying on the Peabody or BOT as your go-to assessment? You're not alone, but you might be missing something critical. In this episode, we dive deep into occupation-based assessment with Dr. Alysha Skuthan and Dr. Erin Gaby, who recently published groundbreaking research on the occupational profile in school-based practice. This conversation is for every school-based OT who has...

When a student refuses to eat at school, it affects everything—academic performance, regulation, social interactions, and the afternoon meltdown that follows. In this episode, @Jayson Davies sits down with Alisha Grogan, MOT, OTR/L, founder of Your Kid's Table, to talk about feeding challenges in school-based OT. Alisha brings over 20 years of experience working with extreme picky eaters and...

This course explores the evolving landscape of school-aged mental health in a post-COVID world and the expanding role of occupational therapy in supporting students’ emotional, behavioral, and functional participation. Dr. Monica Keen examines current mental-health trends, trauma-informed care, behavior changes following the pandemic, and evidence-aligned OT strategies for school settings. Partici...

Transitioning from OT student to practicing clinician isn’t always a straight path—and in this episode, Chandler Sarkozi shares her real, unfiltered journey into school-based practice. From taking the NBCOT multiple times to navigating job options and ultimately choosing a travel-based school position, this conversation highlights the challenges many new grads face but don’t often talk about. Chan...

In this episode, Jayson discusses the often-overlooked but critical role that state and national occupational therapy associations play in protecting and advancing the profession. He highlights major advocacy wins from the past year, including AOTA's successful defense of Section 504, California's groundbreaking administrative credential legislation, Nevada's prevention of ABA encro...

In this episode of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, host Jayson Davies is joined by Aimee Piller and Dr. Sultan Alfawaz to explore a powerful shift in school-based occupational therapy practice. Together, they break down how aligning OT services with academic standards can transform both student outcomes and how practitioners advocate for their role in schools. You’ll learn practical strategies for lin...

Artificial intelligence is quickly entering healthcare and education, and occupational therapists are asking an important question: How can we use AI responsibly without losing the clinical reasoning that defines our profession? In this episode, Jayson Davies sits down with OT educator and researcher Tara Mansour to explore practical, ethical ways school-based OT practitioners can begin using AI t...

Join us in this episode where Nicole Dahl shares her powerful journey as a parent navigating occupational therapy services for her son on the autism spectrum. She opens up about the challenges of understanding the "why" behind therapy activities and the frustration of disconnected communication between providers, teachers, and home. Through Nicole's story, school-based OT practition...

Supporting teachers can be one of the most powerful ways to create lasting change for students—but it requires a shift in how we view our role as school-based OTs. In this episode, Dr. Ellen Cullen shares her groundbreaking doctoral capstone work on occupation-based coaching, where she treated teachers as clients and used MOHO to support their self-efficacy and align their practices with their pro...

Walking into a classroom filled with visual clutter, constant noise, and lingering smells from an air fryer might leave you wondering how any student can focus—let alone those with sensory processing challenges. In this episode, Dr. Heather Kuhaneck joins school-based OT practitioners Linda Kinkade and Dana Hawkins to introduce the Classroom Sensory Environment Assessment (C-SEA), a tool designed...

Dr. Aimee Piller joins the OT Schoolhouse Podcast to explore how school-based occupational therapists can apply their sensory expertise within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS).  She shares practical strategies for moving beyond traditional IEP-based services to support entire classrooms at Tier 1 and small groups at Tier 2, helping OT practitioners maximize their impact while managing their...

In this Episode of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast, Jayson Davies welcomes Dr. Jaime Hunter and Dr. Kaisa Syväoja from The College of St. Scholastica to discuss how OT practitioners can utilize grants to advocate for mental health services in schools. Learn how grants can expand your OT practice beyond traditional tier three services, whether you're looking to fund a sensory room, provide professi...

Get ready to blast off into a powerful new way of understanding sensory processing in schools. In this episode, Danielle Pluth and Ruth Isaac—Canadian occupational therapists and creators of the Good Sense OT Rocket Ship —share the innovative visual framework that’s transforming how OTs assess, communicate, and support student participation. The Rocket Ship helps therapists differentiate sensory-b...

Dive into groundbreaking research on the transition from caseload to workload models in school-based OT with Stanbridge University MOT students Jalen, Michelle, Jared, and Ari. Their nationwide survey revealed striking results: practitioners using a workload model reported significantly lower burnout scores compared to those using a caseload model and majority strongly agreeing that the workload a...

Everyday Ethics in School-Based OT: Navigating Challenges with Clarity & Confidence equips school-based occupational therapists with the tools to confidently address real-world ethical dilemmas that arise in educational settings. Through case studies, decision-making frameworks, and updated guidance from AOTA, FOTA, and state-level regulations, participants will strengthen their ability to app...

Matthew Husband, OTD, OTR/L shares his innovative "Get to Work" program, an after-school initiative providing realistic work experiences for high school students who could succeed in employment with the right supports. The program follows a monthly pattern with on-campus training focused on hard and soft skills, followed by community-based experiences at actual workplaces including pizze...

OTs hold the key to school-wide success by grounding self-regulation in sensory-motor regulation—not just in emotions. In this episode, Sherry Shellenberger and Jennie Largent show how the Alert Program provides a foundational layer many SEL programs miss, share practical strategies for piloting change, and explain how to talk with administrators to secure support and funding. Tune in to learn cle...

In this exciting episode, we're thrilled to welcome back Sarah Collins, a pioneer in the world of homeschooling and occupational therapy. It’s been over five years since Sarah first joined us, right at the onset of the pandemic, and so much has evolved since then. With over 3 million students now homeschooled in the United States, understanding the intersection of occupational therapy and hom...

Discover the exciting updates and enhancements of the BOT-3 assessment tool with Dr. Elizabeth Munsell, Research Director at Pearson. Learn how this latest version offers updated norms, supplemental scores, and innovative features designed specifically for school-based occupational therapy practitioners. Dr. Munsell explains the key differences between BOT-2 and BOT-3, including new growth scale v...

Join Jayson Davies as he sits down with occupational therapists and co-founders of B3 Coffee, Jacqueline and Greg Boheler, to explore their unique, neurodiversity-affirming non-profit. They share how they've built a multi-faceted organization that includes a transitional employment model and a robust community program to support young adults with disabilities beyond high school. This episode...

In this episode, Jayson sits down with Amy Fehr, MSOT, OTR/L, an experienced school-based OT and current clinical advisor at BlazerWorks, to tackle the pressing challenges and exciting opportunities that all therapists—whether contracted, new, or in-district—face in the ever-evolving landscape of school settings. Discover how to effectively build rapport with staff, advocate for the vital role of...

Are you a school-based occupational therapist looking to streamline your practice, build stronger collaborations, and navigate the complexities of documentation, assessments, and district requirements?  In this episode, Krupa Kuruvilla shares invaluable tips and systems she's developed over her 10+ years in the field. From managing limited workspace to effective parent communication, her insi...

What do Rubik’s Cubes, art, and therapy have in common? In this inspiring episode, Jayson chats with Kyle Cubes, a Rubik’s Cube artist and autistic adult who has transformed a personal coping strategy into a therapeutic tool for others. Kyle shares his journey of late diagnosis, how he found emotional regulation through cube art, and how he’s now empowering therapists and clients alike to find joy...