Join host Nicole Quint, PhD, DrOT, OTR/L, FAOTA, for an urgent and timely conversation with Jacque Sample, DrOT, MEd, OTR/L, FAOTA, an occupational therapist with over 25 years of expertise in school-based practice and public policy. Together, they explore the shifting landscape of the federal Department of Education and what potential restructuring means for the future of special education services. You will discover how to move beyond traditional roles, like handwriting intervention, to become a vital social change agent and leader at the policymaking table. Tune in to learn actionable strategies for building district-wide alliances and leveraging your state association to protect and advocate for your role in public schools.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the evidence around the role of occupational therapy practitioners in leadership and advocacy within the school-based practice setting
• Apply evidence-based, practical strategies to actionably address shifting state education policies and funding structures resulting from federal-level departmental changes
• Solve patient case scenarios involving the utilization of the full occupational therapy scope of practice to protect and expand professional services in public schools

Timestamps

• (00:00:00) Welcome
• (00:00:05) Introduction to Pediatric Pioneers and OT advocacy
• (00:02:20) Dr. Jackie Sample's journey in OT advocacy
• (00:04:45) Understanding the federal Department of Education's role
• (00:08:00) Recent changes in special education policies
• (00:12:07) The importance of OT in school systems
• (00:17:50) Building relationships with educators
• (00:20:00) Strategies for effective advocacy
• (00:23:22) Advocacy vs. activism in occupational therapy
• (00:30:00) Navigating contractual employment in OT
• (00:38:26) Three actionable takeaways to align activism perspective with school-based practice
• (00:44:16) Inspirational stories of advocacy and activism
• (00:47:34) Engaging parents in advocacy
• (00:53:12) Insights from Zach: a personal perspective
• (01:08:35) Strategies to encourage OT in the classroom
• (01:13:32) Advice to OTAs on how to become stronger advocates
• (01:14:44) Next frontier in school-based practice

Pediatric Pioneers is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away.

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