Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists May 2016 | Page 5

Host a School Based Therapy Showcase
Have you ever considered hosting an occupational and
physical therapy showcase at the school where you work?
You could invite parents, teachers and students to come check
out all the assistive technology and adapted equipment that
is available for students. When therapists hop in and out of
classrooms and homes they only see a slice of that child’s life.
Parents and teachers are with the children many more hours in
the day therefore offering the most insight. When you stop to
think about it, parents and teachers may not know what is
even available especially along a continuum. For example,
perhaps a student is using some simple adaptive equipment
like a slant board. There are many different slant boards
available along with many homemade versions. Perhaps if a
parent or teacher spots a certain feature of one versus another for a student, that will trigger an
idea of what would work best. Same could be said for other equipment including bigger
equipment such a wheelchairs or standing frames. Therapists tend to recommend equipment
from a medically and educationally based perspective of what the child needs but don’t always
take into account the perspective of the parent or teacher. If they are not on board than we all
know the equipment usually does not get utilized (understandably so).
Here are some suggestions:
1. Have a showcase night where you exhibit any adaptive equipment or assistive technology
and its uses. Separate areas of the room perhaps by handwriting tools, technology tools,
adaptive equipment and larger equipment. Make sure information is available for what each
tool is used for. This is great for IEP planning for the following school year.
2. Take pictures of everything so that you can send the information to parents and teachers
who are unable to attend. Even better, create a binder of what is available for parents or
teachers to “check out” of the therapy department to review at their leisure.
3. Provide a demonstration of certain tools – explain why certain pencil grips are chosen,
demonstrate word prediction programs, demonstrate different walkers, etc.
4. If you have a loads of equipment to showcase break it up into different nights therefore
parents/teachers can come on the nights they are interested in the topic.
5. If you do not have time to host an actual showcase, how about create some poster
presentations to leave by the room. This will inform teachers and parents what is available as
they walk by. You could have different themes each month.
6. Love the idea of a showcase? Invite local vendors to bring wheelchairs, standing frames,
orthotics, computer software, etc. Advertise it well and you would get attendees from other
communities including therapists.
7. Take it one step further and make it a fundraiser. Do you need money for an adapted
bicycle, iPad or handwriting program? Set up your showcase and ask for donations at the
event.
Occupational and physical therapists have so much information to share that just can not occur
during a 30 minute session. Start thinking outside the box to provide educational insight for all
members of the special education team.

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