Occupational Therapy

Motor Team

The Motor Team in the Oregon City School District is a Professional Learning Community (PLC) composed of physical therapists, adaptive physical education specialists, nurses, autism specialists, and occupational therapists. We meet monthly to problem-solve student challenges, share resources and ideas, and connect about ways to improve our practices.

Occupational Therapy

Simply put, occupational therapy is the practice of supporting people in doing the things they need, want, and are expected to do--their occupations! This means breaking down barriers by teaching new skills, modifying environments to match the person’s capabilities, and consulting with school teams to determine how a child can be most successful in their school day. We deeply understand that our occupations are at the core of our identity and that they shape our everyday experiences.

In the school-based setting, occupational therapists often work with students who, for a variety of reasons, struggle to access their education. And we know that education isn’t all about academics. Being at school requires attention, social skills, hand-eye coordination, emotional regulation, and even the coordination to open your own lunchbox in the cafeteria. Occupational therapists are part of special education teams, and aside from supporting students directly, we work closely with general and special education teachers, school psychologists, speech language pathologists, custodians, instructional assistants, physical therapists, nurses,and, of course, parents.

In the Oregon City School District, the process of accessing occupational therapy services and supports is done through a comprehensive evaluation as part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) process for special education. After the evaluation is complete, the team collaborates to decide if there is a need for occupational therapy services, and if so, what the child-specific goals will be.

Different ways that we support students in the school-based setting are;

  • Consulting with a child’s teacher regarding ways to support them joining their class at the carpet for a story without touching their peers

  • Building a child’s frustration tolerance through games and scenarios

  • Supporting a team in developing a toileting or feeding plan for a student with complex motor needs

  • Targeting a child’s fine motor skill development by making Play-Doh pizzas and coloring pictures of dinosaurs

  • Introducing the use of adaptive equipment or assistive technology to improve a student’s ability to participate in classroom tasks

  • Problem solving ways that a child with sensory processing challenges can attend loud school assemblies without discomfort

  • Improving a child’s awareness of their emotional state and how it affects others through curriculum-based, perspective-taking activities

  • Progressing a child’s visual perceptual skills through the completion of mazes, dot-to-dot puzzles, and block design activities

Occupational therapists keep children at the very center of our work. We see them as integral parts of the therapeutic process and we know that the best progress comes when children are growing and playing in a supportive, encouraging environment. We believe that time spent playing with a child is never wasted. We believe that every child has the potential to grow and develop into their best selves. And we believe that school should be a place that children love coming to. We’re grateful for the opportunities that we have to be a part of that.

Resources for Families

Resources on typical child development:

Skill development links you can do at home:

Resources for families who are seeking support understanding their children’s needs:

If you have any questions or want to connect about more resources, please feel free to reach us here:

Cherise Basques: cherise.basques@orecity.k12.or.us 

Sue Linehan: susan.linehan@orecity.k12.or.us 

Abby Lotz: abby.lotz@orecity.k12.or.us 

Nancy McInally: nancy.mcinally@orecity.k12.or.us 

Sara Pilorget: sara.pilorget@orecity.k12.or.us 

Erin Wixson: erin.wixson@orecity.k12.or.us