SCHOOL THERAPY SERVICES

1. SCHOOL THERAPY SERVICES Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy for the Annapolis Valley District Health Authority

2. These packages are available to you on the TIENET help menu. • If there are any changes we will inform you through changes on TIENET. • If you have any questions about the process, e-mail the relevant therapist (see back page)

3. Occupational Therapy and School Aged Children • An Occupational Therapist can work with children to enhance the child’s abilities. • For a child this may include; • Play skills (Appropriate play, social play, developing hand skills) • Feeding independently • Dressing skills • Accessibility in the home and at school

4. Seating and positioning • Scissor skills • Writing and printing skills • Sensory Integration (the ability for the child to take in sensory information (sight, sound, touch) and make sense of it.

5. Physiotherapy and School Aged Children • A Physiotherapist can work with you and your student to enhance the child’s abilities and integrate the treatment plan into the child’s functional school day. • For a child this may include; • Gross motor function (The large muscles in the body used in activities such as walking, running, crawling and sitting. It forms the foundation for developing fine motor skills). • Range of motion

6. Muscle tone • Strengthening • Mobility/gait • Balance/stability • Positioning • Transfers

7. Where OT and PT overlap We need all of the following to be functional in all of our activities of daily living (ADLs). OTs and PTs work on these same fundamental skills, but our areas of focus during these activities are slightly different. • Transfers Moving from surface to surface safely; for example from wheelchair to toilet and the use of mechanical lifts.

8. Mobility PT – gait aides OT – Wheelchairs • Positioning PT – muscle/length relationship, functional ability; OT – functional participation

9. Referral Process • School Therapy is based on a consultative process to educate staff in the area(s) of concern for the child. We do not provide services for reviews or updating programs unless there have been changesin the status of the child (Deterioration or improvement in function or medical condition).

10. The following are required to be fully completed before referral. Incomplete referrals will result in a return of the referral to the referral source and consequently slow service to the student. (There are many requests for School visits at the same time, so prioritization does occur). 1 OT and/or PT referral 2 Student Questionnaires 3 Release of information form

11. All School generated referrals MUST come from the Resource Teacher,Principal, SHPP Nurse Coordinator or AVRSB Student Services. • They MUST be signed by a parent or guardian. Parents or guardians MUST be aware of our presence in the school with their child.

12. The referral MUST have at least one identified goal for therapist review and all Questionnaires must be filled in. (The OT and PT questionnaires are especially important for those students with: - more than 1 area of concern. - high level physical, social or cognitive needs. - communication limitations.

13. Examples: Poor – please see Jane Smith for review of her ROM program. Better – Please re-assess Jane Smith’s arm ROM program due to suspected decrease in range over the summer. poor – Please see John Brown to review his mobility. Better – Please re-assess John Brown’s mobility with his walker as he has grown significantly since last year and appears to be off balance at times.

14. A signed release of information form is also required (with details of all relevant names). • A new referral will be required for each new school year with new, specific goals for that year. (This includes the Questionnaires and Release of information forms, too).

15. It is the responsibility of the school to make sure the relevant staff (Resource teachers, classroom teachers and educational assistants) are present during therapist visit to learn their role in treatment for ongoing work with the student. When new staff/change in staff occurs, it is the schools responsibility to hand over treatment roles whenever possible. ……HOWEVER, we realise this is not always possible. …...We really are easy to work with, but getting the referral process/paperwork right makes our jobs much easier. …..Remember, we only work part-time in schools.

16. All referrals for your school are to bedirected to: • Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville (Hantsport to Berwick/Somerset Schools) Fax: (902) 679-2499 Occupational Therapy – Sally Merks Ennis Email: smerks-ennis@avdha.nshealth.ca Physiotherapy – Nick Warzee Email: nwarzee@avdha.nshealth.ca

17. Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton (Aylesford to Bridgetown Schools) Fax (902) 825-1282(PT) (902) 825-5180(OT) Occupational Therapy – Christine Garde Email: cgarde@avdha.nshealth.ca Physiotherapy – Heather Cleveland Email: rehab.smh@avdha.nshealth.ca

18. Annapolis Community Health Centre, Annapolis Royal (Annapolis Royal & Clark Rutherford Schools) Fax: (902) 532-0977 Occupational Therapy – Vanessa Long Email: vlong@swndha.nshealth.ca Physiotherapy – Carolyn Longmire Email: clongmire@avdha.nshealth.ca The referral will be reviewed and prioritized based on need. You will be contacted for appropriate scheduling of the initial visit at the school or within the OT/PT department (we sometimes like to see the student in the clinic first depending on the issue).