The OT Schoolhouse Podcast for School-Based OT Practitioners

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is often talked about as a framework for inclusive education—but what does it actually look like in day-to-day school-based occupational therapy? In this episode, Jayson welcomes back Deborah Schwind, DHSc, OTR/L, BCP, SCSS, FAOTA to explore how school-based OTPs can use UDL to help students access, engage in, and demonstrate learning without lowering expectatio...

Proactive sensory breaks can make all the difference for students — but only when they're built into the school day before dysregulation starts, not after. In this episode, Denise Campbell, MS, OTR/L, and Terri Dinkelaker, PT, DPT, co-creators of Skillz 2 Thrive, join Jayson to talk about how school-based OT and PT teams can design simple, proactive sensory-motor routines that teachers, aides...

Many school-based occupational therapists are working with students who have cortical visual impairment (CVI) but don't recognize it. Unlike ocular visual impairments, CVI is a brain-based processing issue that affects functional vision in ways that fluctuate with environment, fatigue, and sensory complexity. In this episode, Lauren Andelin, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, assistant professor at Virginia Co...

What if the way we've been supporting autistic students is missing the mark? In this groundbreaking episode, Jayson sits down with Kieran Rose—autistic advocate, researcher, and author—to tackle the tough questions school-based OT practitioners submitted about autism, masking, stimming, and neurodiversity-affirming practice. This isn't your typical autism training. Kieran challenges core...

What if occupational therapy wasn't confined to pullout sessions and IEP goals? Nicole Pfirman, M.Ed., OTR/L, shares how she brought an OT lens to every role—designing multi sensory environments for behavioral regulation, creating prevention and wellness teams that operated outside of special education, and reframing the "mental health crisis" as an intensity crisis that demands sys...

What's really happening in school-based OT practice across the country? In this episode, Jayson sits down with Hannah Smiles, OTD, OTR/L, to unpack findings from a national survey of 331 school-based occupational therapists across 41 states, published in the open-access Open Journal of Occupational Therapy . Hannah and her research team examined the entire OT process — from referral through i...

What if we've been asking the wrong question all along? For years, school-based occupational therapy practitioners have debated whether challenging student behaviors are driven by sensory processing differences or behavior. But what if that distinction isn't the most important one? In this episode, Jayson is joined by Kristen Brokamp, OTR/L and Breanna Lynch, OTR/L , co-founders of Holdi...

In this episode, Jayson Davies sits down with Kelli Fetter, founder of Handwriting Solutions, to explore the world of dysgraphia — from the challenges of diagnosis and assessment to evidence-based, school-based intervention strategies. Kelli shares her personal journey as both an OT and parent of a child with dysgraphia, and explains why she believes school-based OTs are the most well-positioned e...

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...