Occupational Therapy

The focus of Occupational Therapy (OT) at The Matheny School is to facilitate the students’ access to their educational curriculum as well as to their physical environment. The occupational therapists collaborate closely with the other therapists, educators, the school nurse, and other specialists on the student’s school team to integrate therapeutic goals into the student’s school day. This “push-in” approach where therapy takes place in the classroom with teachers and therapists continuously consulting with each other promotes consistency and reinforces both therapeutic and educational strategies for optimal student learning.

Occupational therapists work to foster the student’s independence and support their academic success by creating customized programs to develop the child’s everyday skills, including performing activities of daily living, fine and gross motor skills, visual motor and visual perception, bilateral coordination, technology access, and multisensory integration to support instruction. With OT support, prevocational/vocational preparation and community integration opportunities are also available to the student.

Matheny’s OT team are trained in pediatric occupational therapy and highly experienced with the unique challenges faced by children with disabilities. They use their specialized expertise to devise techniques to help the children maximize their potential as students and contributing members of the school community.

Additional Occupational Therapy Services may include:

Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT)
Administration of Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT)
Sensory Integration Therapy
Computer-access equipment and electronic aids to daily living
Adaptive Seating and Mobility equipment evaluation
Orthotic devices/splinting and Kinesio Taping
Sound-Based Therapies including The Listening Program®

All of The Matheny School occupational therapists are licensed by the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council and certified by the New Jersey Department of Education as School Occupational Therapists. Individual therapists also maintain ATP certification through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) as well as SIPT and NDT certifications.