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Welcome to the show notes for Episode 162 of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast.
Join Jayson and Amanda Gibbs as they discuss building a school-based OT toolbox. Together, they dive into tools and resources—like the interactive Osmo, 'Tools to Grow,' goodwill, and more—that make therapy sessions both effective and budget-friendly. Amanda shares her journey from navigating limited resources as a new grad to finding creative solutions that enhance her practice. Don’t miss this episode full of insights and practical tips to elevate your OT practice on a budget!
Listen now to learn the following objectives:
Learners will identify cost-effective tools and resources for supporting skill development in school-based occupational therapy.
Learners will understand district budgeting and resource processes to advocate for necessary occupational therapy materials, including recognizing key contacts for resource support in schools with limited budgets.
Learners will identify tools and strategies for implementing a multisensory learning approach.
Guests Bio
Amanda Gibbs is a School-based Occupational Therapist that currently practices in Virginia working with ages 2 to 22. She is certified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist and is Tier 1 certified in the Size Matters Handwriting Program. When she is not working in the school system, her passion lies in creating content on instagram @ot.enlightenment. It has since grown to be a platform to provide mentorship to students, guest speakers for OT programs across the US, provide guidance for new graduates, provide resources on school-based OT information, treatment ideas, advocacy, and promotion of learning opportunities to become confident and competent occupational therapy practitioners.
Quotes
“If there are any new grads or therapists that are going into the space and you find you don't have much support, then please reach out to where that support is and find out what the budget is, and where we fit within that, and get that conversation going to to really decrease not only the burden on yourself, but future therapists as well”
- Amanda Gibbs, OTR/L, ASDCS
“So for my elementary schools and another tip is to make it easier for yourself is to, again, stretch that same activity, but adapt it in so many different ways depending on the kid and the skills that you're working on.”
-Amanda Gibbs, OTR/L, ASDCS
“I find that there are so many free resources out there that I have found from so many different people that, sometimes I feel there's an abundance of information, which is wonderful, but kind of overwhelming.”
-Amanda Gibbs, OTR/L, ASDCS
“There's just so many resources online that you can learn a lot about something, before ever hitting the buy button or going to Target.
-Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L
Resources
👉Osmo
Episode Transcript
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