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Occupational Therapy Service

Ko Taku Reo Occupational Therapists (OTs) undertake work that aims to support children to access their curriculum and fully participate in classroom life.

OTs use a model of practice that considers the learner, their social, physical and cultural environments, as well as the specific tasks they are asked to do. An OT’s role is to remove barriers from these areas, to allow learners to do the things they want, need and are expected to do.

We also practice within a Deaf educational environment that adheres to Deaf cultural norms. Within this, OTs will use a combination of spoken English and NZSL depending on the needs of learners and their whanau.

Values

Our practice is guided by:

  • The Valued Practices from the Specialist Service Standards
  • Ko Taku Reo, Deaf Education new Zealand school values

We value services that are:

  • child and whānau-centred
  • inclusive
  • holistic and wrap-around
  • collaborative and empowering
  • strengths-based
  • evidence-based
  • within everyday contexts and focus on everyday activities effective

Specialist Service Standards, Ministry of Education

  • A strong commitment to Deaf bi-lingual and bi-cultural practice
  • Valuing Deaf cultural norms
  • Provide students with an environment where they can Belong, Grow, Choose, Excel
  • Access to resources and services students need to be happy and engaged learners
  • To have opportunities to be their best and become confident leaders of their own lives

Ko Taku Reo School Values

Priority Based Service

The OT Service has an early intervention focus and is a priority-based service. This means that the learners and their teams with the highest needs will receive a more intensive service. Learner assessment results will be used with our prioritisation guidelines, indicating the level of support each learner will receive.

Tier 3: Individualised Intervention

Significant support is needed with:

  • Access to the physical environment.
  • Self-care activities of daily living
  • Regulating senses and emotions
  • Engaging with/attending to classroom tasks
  • Producing written work
  • Leisure/play
  • Safely participating in mainstream spaces
  • Accessing the curriculum.

Tier 2: Supported Programmes

Moderate support needed with:

  • Access to the physical environment.
  • Self-care activities of daily living
  • Regulating senses and emotions
  • Engaging with/attending to classroom tasks
  • Producing written work
  • Leisure/play
  • Safely participating in mainstream spaces
  • Accessing the curriculum.

Tier 1: Monitor

  • Actively participating in their environment
  • Engages in work, play or activities of daily living
  • Students environment supports participation.
  • Student can participate in their desired and/or necessary occupations
  • Educational needs being met by being in a provision with a Teacher of the Deaf