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Description
Elementary school students with physical and developmental disabilities often experience barriers to meaningful participation across school environments. This capstone project aimed to address these barriers by equipping teachers and paraprofessionals with practical occupational therapy-informed strategies to best support student engagement, inclusion, and independence in school activities. The program included delivering a professional development presentation and an educational guidebook highlighting key concepts such as task analysis, activity modification, multisensory learning, and environmental adaptations. Findings from the post-program survey and informal interviews indicated increased participant knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability to support meaningful participation, highlighting the value of occupational therapy-informed training and resources in school-based practice.
Publication Date
Spring 4-22-2026
Publisher
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Keywords
Student participation, Children, School-based occupational therapy, Inclusive education, Multisensory learning, Physical disabilities, Developmental disabilities, Activity adaptation
Medical Subject Headings
Children, Students, Physical disabilities, Developmental disabilities
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy
Recommended Citation
Marshall, A., King, R., & Faghihifar, J. (2026, April 22). Supporting Meaningful Participation for Elementary School Students with Physical and Developmental Disabilities Across School Environments. Poster presented at the Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, University of St Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2026/27
Comments
Poster presented at the OTD Capstone Symposium held at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences April 22, 2026.