At Life Skills Manor School, we are committed to supporting the well-being of our pupils. There is currently a full time Occupational Therapist who will work in collaboration with the pupil, parents/guardians, educational staff and other professionals and families to provide a holistic approach to interventions.
When a pupil starts Life Skills Manor School, their parent/guardian will be invited to a Developmental History Meeting with the Occupational Therapist during the first term. The purpose of the meeting is to gather a holistic understanding of the child’s needs by gathering information in 5 key areas:
“Occupation” refers to practical and purposeful activities that allow us to live independently and give us a sense of identity. This could be anything from essential day-to-day tasks, such as dressing or cooking, to the things that make us who we are—our job, interests, hobbies and relationships. Occupational therapists find solutions to everyday problems. (British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists, 2013).
Courses of individual therapy sessions can be offered dependent upon individual, specific need and therapists’ clinical judgment.
Occupational Therapy provision within the school environment at Life Skills Manor focuses on assessment and intervention of:
The pupil will then access an initial assessment with the Occupational Therapist to further support an understanding of their needs. The initial assessment will identify the strengths and needs of the child using:
The voice of the child is integral throughout the Occupational Therapy initial assessment process. They are encouraged and given the tools to express their opinions, ideas, hopes and wishes for future therapeutic input.
Once this process has taken place, information gathered from the developmental history meeting and initial assessment will inform a report with recommendations of therapeutic provision detailed. This may include joint target setting, embedded strategies, sessions, or ongoing training for staff.
At Life Skills Manor School, therapeutic strategies and interventions are supported by the whole team via the provision of a tiered model: