Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists at St Rose’s aim to maximise the functional ability and occupational performance of the individual, helping students to develop and achieve.

Occupational Therapy is a person-centred profession. ‘Occupation’ refers to everything people do within daily life. These may be self-care activities (for example getting ready to go out, washing, bathing, dressing, eating and drinking) work and productivity (for example, playing, accessing the curriculum) and leisure (for example, socialising, sports, hobbies and clubs)

Occupational Therapy aims to enable students to live to their full potential, to learn, explore and achieve throughout their lives.

Occupational Therapists work in a variety of areas for example

• Sensory Integration support
• Independent living skills
• Behaviour support
• Self-help skills
• Job/Work coaching
• Motor Skills Development
• Upper Limb Splinting
• Travel Training
• Equipment Provision
• Moving and Handling Assessment and guidance
• Risk Management
• Independent Mobility Skills
• Assessment of Perceptual Skills

Having onsite Occupational therapy allows therapists to take a responsive approach to need lead therapy spanning the entire waking day curriculum. Therapy can be delivered within classrooms, residential settings and in the therapy department.

St Rose’s has always taken pride in its close ‘family’ feel. Occupational Therapists are a part of this, working with staff, families and the transdisciplinary team within the school, college and beyond ensuring a consistent approach across every aspect of the students’ life.

Sensory Integration is the foundation for function within all aspects of daily life.
The sensory system involves vision, auditory, tactile, olfactory, proprioception (pressure and positioning) and vestibular (positioning and balance) input.

Sensory integration refers to the way that we take in sensory information, sort, organise and put together sensory information, we then produce an adaptive behavioural response.
Sometimes people find it difficult to process sensory information. This can be called Sensory Integration Difficulties or Sensory Processing Disorder. Often this presents as adapted behaviours.

Young people often seek activities that provide them with enhanced sensory experiences. By helping our students to recognise sensory need, positive and constructive sensory activities enable them to develop a more mature and efficient way of organising their sensory input.

Occupational Therapists help to design programmes, make environmental adaptations and assist with strategies and equipment to help the young person to learn, move, develop appropriate behaviours and be as independent as possible.

Some of the ways that St Rose’s helps young people to manage sensory processing is to provide regular access to sensory experiences for example;

• Sensory Obstacle course
• Sensory diet
• Room adaptation
• Equipment provision
• Flexible classroom sessions to meet sensory requirements
• Sensory diary to record sensory experiences
• Coping strategies to students, staff and families.
• Dual purpose activities such as hydrotherapy, rebound therapy, horse riding with RDA.

St Rose’s takes a whole school approach to sensory processing; it is a part of lessons, break times and leisure times within the school. Professionals within the school and outside agencies liaise in the assessment and provision of sensory integration.