What Hundreds of School-Based OTPs Revealed About Their Actual Practice

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 intervention — using the OTPF as a guiding framework, revealing that narrow referral patterns persist (handwriting, sensory, and fine motor still dominate), over two-thirds of OTPs aren't using formal environmental assessments, and most practitioners are operating in a "blended" workload/caseload model. Three major interconnected themes emerged from the data: role confusion, inconsistent leadership opportunities, and an incomplete transition to the workload approach.Whether you're looking for validation, language to advocate for your role, or a clearer picture of where the profession stands today — this episode is for you.Press play to discover where school-based OT stands today and what needs to change to move the profession forward.Listen now to learn the following objectives:— Learners will identify the most common referral patterns in school-based OT and recognize gaps in scope.— Learners will recognize the three major themes affecting school-based OT practice.— Learners will identify the unique value of school-based OT using research evidence.—Learners will identify practical ways to expand their role, advocate for involvement in MTSS/RTI activities, and move toward more leadership within their schools.Thanks for tuning in! Thanks for tuning into the OT Schoolhouse Podcast brought to you by the OT Schoolhouse Collaborative Community for school-based OTPs. In OTS Collab, we use community-powered professional development to learn together and implement strategies together. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and check out the show notes for every episode at OTSchoolhouse.comSee you in the next episode!