The fundamentals of a school OT
November marks one full year of working as a school Occupational Therapist- Woohoo! To celebrate, I've decided to make this blog to share my thoughts, experiences, and all the things I'm learning along the way!
This first post is dedicated to all the new school OT's out there. As a new pediatric therapist, you basically have to start from scratch in terms of what items you can use for your kids in therapy. A lot of schools have designated therapy spaces with lots of supplies and games galore, but a lot of other schools may expect you to bring in your own materials and whatnot. This school year, I pretty much fully-stocked my therapy room with my own supplies. BUT, I spent less than $100 on probably everything I need for the whole school year and here’s some tricks and tips how/where! :)

Ugh. My favorite place in the world not only to find work stuff but for all the other cute things I never knew I needed. That dollar spot section in the front is GOLD. But seriously, for $1-3 dollars, there's tons of good finds. I've been able to find puzzles, lacing cards, beading activities, card games, mini erasers, sensory toys, stress balls, putty, and even a gripper! You can also get all the classic holy grail therapy games there like Uno, Spot it, Simon, Bop it, and Jenga! (My personal favorites). But seriously, the more I visit target, and its A LOT, the more I see random toys/games that are just perfect for occupational therapy. I'm convinced that Target is really sensitive to the special needs population and is making strides to mainstream sensory toys and games that all kids can benefit from! Love it! (Fun fact: For Halloween this year I actually dressed up as a target employee LOL. Hmmm, next career choice if OT doesn't work out?)


Let me end with this— Sometimes, it could feel like you're spending way too much money on toys/games... which can feel especially weird as an adult buying children's toys when you have no children, LOL. But, you're basically investing in your future, your students, and your day to day satisfaction. I'm sure you already have most of the basics you already need hidden somewhere in your home. And I'm not saying you need to spend a crazy amount of money on supplies to be a good OT. But I've found that the more you keep things interesting for the kids, the more they're interested in you and working towards their goals. At the end of the day... Do OT for the kids!
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