May has a certain energy to it. The countdown chains get shorter. Classrooms feel louder and looser. Teachers are holding it together with coffee and clipboards. Students are buzzing (some with excitement, some with dysregulation, many with both). We call it “the end of the school year.” But what it really is… is transition. And transitions are hard for all of us. Even as adults, we feel it when we leave a job, move to a new home, end a relationship. pr step out of structure

April is OT Month, and if you’re anything like me, you want to celebrate it in a way that feels meaningful , not performative or exhausting. So instead of another “post every day or else” situation, I created something gentler and more human: The OT Month Challenge. This challenge is designed to be: Reflective, not overwhelming Honest, not overly polished Useful for real therapists doing real work You can complete it quietly for yourself, share bits online, use it as journa

Visual perception is one of those foundational skill areas we feel the impact of in school-based OT every single day, even if students can’t quite put words to what’s challenging them. When a child struggles with copying from the board, identifying letters, forming legible handwriting, or keeping their place on a worksheet, visual perceptual skills are often at the center of the puzzle. Let’s break down the visual perceptual components most connected to handwriting and lette

The new year (or even just the mid-year point) is the perfect time for a reset. As school-based therapists, we juggle so much: student progress, meetings, paperwork, and collaboration with teachers and parents. It’s easy for our goals and routines to get lost in the chaos, especially as we count down the days until the holidays. Taking a moment to pause, reflect, and reset can help you finish the year strong and create sustainable systems for both your students and yourself.

When we think about school-based occupational therapy, our minds often jump to direct services: helping a student with handwriting,...

Be honest... How many times have you sat down at the end of a long day, stared at your planner, and thought: “What in the world am I...

As school-based OTs, we wear a lot of hats... detective, problem-solver, collaborator, and sometimes paperwork wizard. Our work isn’t...

When I first started working as a school-based occupational therapist, the pressure to collect data was overwhelming. I knew how...

The back to school season can feel like a war-zone, can't it? We've all been there, attempting to organize our space while rounding up...

Handwriting is more than just forming letters—it’s a complex skill that relies on several underlying motor abilities. For children to write legibly and efficiently, they need to develop a strong foundation of motor skills that support hand function, control, and coordination. In this post, we’ll explore key motor skills essential for functional handwriting and provide practical strategies to help children develop them. The Motor Skills Behind Functional Handwriting Several mo