Occupational Therapy

AIM Academy Occupational Therapy Practitioners (OTPs) bridge the gap between skill and performance by identifying barriers to participation and providing strategies, tools, and accommodations that support success in school.

AIM is unique in that it has a team of six on-campus, in-house Occupational Therapy Practitioners (including occupational therapists) who support students in grades 1–12. Our OTPs bring expertise in language-based learning differences, executive functioning, written output, self-regulation, sensory processing, and the underlying skills that impact school participation. Because our OTPs are embedded in AIM’s classrooms and curriculum, they collaborate closely with teachers and can design practical strategies, tools, and accommodations that carry over directly into the school day.

AIM’s Occupational Therapy Department partners with Thomas Jefferson University and other local universities to serve as a clinical fieldwork site, providing supervised training for OT fieldwork interns.

What is School-Based Occupational Therapy?

At AIM Academy, school-based occupational therapy (OT) supports students in the daily “occupations” of school, such as learning, writing, organizing, self-regulating, and engaging with others. Our goal is to help each student use their body, brain, and environment effectively so they can access learning and show what they know.

What We Do

We Consider:

What motor and sensory skills are involved?
What executive functioning skills are required (planning, starting, sustaining, organizing, and monitoring work)?
What emotional, social, or environmental supports may help?

This whole-child lens helps us identify barriers to participation and provide strategies, tools, and adaptations that build independence and confidence

Task Analysis

OTPs use task analysis to understand what’s getting in the way of a student’s performance. Rather than focusing only on the final product, we look at the motor, sensory, cognitive/executive functioning, and emotional demands of a task (and the environment where it happens). This helps us identify barriers to participation and provide targeted strategies, tools, and accommodations that improve independence and confidence.

Example: Task Analysis in Action

Task: Writing a paragraph
OT may look at:

Physical: core stability/posture, shoulder and hand strength, grasp, endurance
Sensory: pencil pressure control, visual tracking, managing classroom distractions
Cognitive: attention, working memory, sequencing, organizing ideas
Emotional/Social: confidence to begin, persistence through mistakes, ability to ask for help

What We Offer

AIM's OT Model

Our model at AIM consists of individual “pull-out” therapy in a quiet, office setting, as well as individual “push-in” therapy in the classroom setting to target skills based on the individual needs of the child. We have the flexibility to incorporate either or both models of therapy, depending on what works best for the student. Services are designed to strengthen skills, improve access to learning, and support participation across the school day.

Support Provided by OT

Depending on student needs, OTPs may support:

Executive functioning (planning, organization, time management, task initiation, self-monitoring)
Written output (handwriting, typing, writing stamina, editing/revising)
Visual-motor and visual-perceptual skills (copying, spacing, alignment, organization on the page)
Visual-spatial skills (math/geometry set-up, organizing work, spatial awareness)
Number sense and functional math participation (as appropriate)
Sensory processing and sensory-motor strategies to support regulation, attention, and participation in classroom routines
Self-regulation and attention (readiness for learning, coping strategies, persistence, frustration tolerance)
Assistive technology and accessibility tools that improve access, efficiency, and independence

Occupational therapy also supports school-based mental health by strengthening skills for emotional readiness for learning, coping, and self-regulation, in collaboration with teachers and the Counseling team.

Consultation and Collaboration

OTPs collaborate closely with teachers and teams to support student participation and carryover of skills across settings. Consultation and collaboration may include:

Identifying underlying factors impacting performance (motor, sensory, executive functioning, regulation, environmental demands)
Recommending classroom accommodations and supports that reduce barriers to participation
Supporting material and task modifications (reducing cognitive load while maintaining rigor)
Coaching teachers on strategies that improve initiation, engagement, work completion, and independence
Participating in progress monitoring meetings and team problem-solving
Collaborating with Counseling and Support Services staff to align self-regulation and coping strategies across the school day

A school-wide initiative called Collaborative Week occurs during most months. During Collaborative Week, OTPs may see students in alternative classes to increase generalization of skills, meet with teachers regarding student progress, consult on accommodations and routines, or lead short-term groups targeting specific skills needing extra support (e.g., organization systems, written output strategies, regulation strategies). This flexible service-delivery model supports best practice for generalization and carryover.

Occupational Therapy: Across the Divisions

Lower School Occupational Therapy

In Lower School, OT supports students’ participation in classroom routines such as joining group lessons, transitioning between activities, starting work, staying engaged, and completing tasks with confidence.

Students may be supported with:

Motor planning and coordination for multi-step routines, tool use, and classroom projects
Posture, strength, and endurance for sustained seated work and classroom participation
Fine-motor and tool skills, including cutting with scissors and managing materials
Writing and written output, including handwriting foundations (formation, spacing, sizing), copying from the board/model, and building fluency so students can show what they know
Visual-motor and visual-perceptual skills to improve accuracy, spacing/alignment, and organization on the page
Self-regulation and attention strategies to improve readiness for learning, persistence, and coping with challenge

OT sessions often incorporate real classroom tasks and projects to build early executive functioning skills such as planning, organizing materials, and editing/revising work. Assistive technology may be introduced when it improves access and independence.

Middle School Occupational Therapy

In Middle School, OT supports students as academic demands increase and independence grows. OT may support students in and outside of the classroom to develop strategies for:

Organization systems (binders, folders, digital files)
Planning and time management for long-term assignments, studying, and deadlines
Task initiation, sustained attention, work completion, and self-monitoring
Written output strategies for efficiency and quality
Self-regulation strategies to manage stress, distraction, and workload demands
Assistive technology tools to support productivity and access

Goals are individualized and revised as needed. OTPs work closely with the academic team, including teachers and Support Services staff, to promote carryover and independence.

Upper School Occupational Therapy

In Upper School, OT emphasizes independence, self-advocacy, and readiness for life beyond AIM. Students may work on:

Prioritization, planning, and task initiation for complex workloads
Self-advocacy, problem-solving, and using supports effectively
Written output and organization strategies to improve efficiency and quality
Functional skills that support transition to higher education and community settings (as appropriate), including executive functioning routines and tools

OTPs collaborate with teachers to provide recommendations and resources that support consistent strategy use across environments and promote increasing independence.

In This Section