During Occupational Therapy Month, we’re spotlighting this school OT team, who help their students build OT skills by focusing on students’ personal interests and natural strengths. 

<h2>April is OT Month, and We’re Here to Brag!</h2><p>April is Occupational Therapy Month, the perfect opportunity for us to brag on some of the school occupational therapy professionals we love! This time, we’re shining the spotlight on an incredible OT Team: Shiva Kayvan and Lauren Petersen. Shiva is an occupational therapist (OT), and Lauren is a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA). They work together to capitalize on their students’ innate strengths and personal interests to support growth in motor skills, self-confidence, and life skills.</p><p>A stellar example is how Shiva and Lauren guided a student toward a larger goal of publishing her writing, all the while strengthening other skills, including handwriting, keyboarding, journaling, transcribing, and applying for copyright:</p><p>“We try to find creative ways to engage students in the occupation of handwriting. Since many students have transitioned to keyboarding, we have taught typing skills as an accommodation and alternative strategy to handwriting. During one session, a student shared her interest in journal writing. She wanted to publish her stories that she has been working on for several years but expressed concerns about protecting her ideas. In the next session, we discussed how to copyright her work, and she wrote down the steps on how to apply for a copyright. Because she is required to submit a digital copy of her work, she plans to transcribe all her handwritten journals into a digital format. As a result, she is more motivated to practice her typing lessons to improve her speed and accuracy.”</p><p>These OT superstars are shining examples of what committed, passionate occupational therapy professionals can do to enhance the lives of children and families daily. Thanks for your commitment, Shiva and Lauren!</p><h2>About OT Month</h2><p>Occupational Therapy Month is recognized each April and began in 1980. It is a time to celebrate the work of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, who “are part of a vitally important profession that helps people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. [Their] holistic and customized approach to evaluations, interventions, and outcomes help a child with disabilities participate in school and in social situations, assist a person recovering from injuries to regain skills, aid an older adult to stay as independent as possible, and offer the specialized support and services to people of all ages and in all circumstances that only occupational therapy can provide.” <a href="https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/OTMonth.aspx#:~:text=April%20is%20OT%20Month%3A%20Celebrate,therapeutic%20use%20of%20everyday%20activities." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AOTA.org</a></p><h2>How to Celebrate OT Month</h2><p>If you’d like to help celebrate the OTs in your life, <a href="https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/OTMonth/TopTenSocial.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AOTA.org</a> has plenty of ideas, from posting on social media to contacting your legislators to sharing stories about OTs.</p><h2>OT and OTA Jobs</h2><p>To begin your next great adventure in school occupational therapy, check out our <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/job-search" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OT jobs and OTA jobs</a> today.</p><p><br></p>

How This School OT Team Inspires Students