The Illinois State Board of Education has published updated guidance on Recommended Practices for Occupational and Physical Therapy Services in Illinois Schools. The OT & PT Coordinator Consortium of Northern Illinois, which is a group of leaders in school-based occupational therapy and physical therapy, undertook a rigorous review of the original 2003 guidance published by ISBE. This updated guidance for occupational therapy and physical therapy practitioners, as well as other stakeholders, was developed based on the Consortium’s interest in ensuring compliance with applicable law and providing quality school-based services to students with special needs in Illinois schools.
The review was done by a committee comprised of 15 occupational therapists and physical therapists in leadership positions from multiple school districts and special education cooperatives throughout Illinois, as well as three professors who had formerly worked in school-based practice. The committee leaders and ECB&S attorneys Teri Engler, Cindy Baasten, and Tamara Starks then conducted an additional review. The committee and subsequent reviewers worked over several months to revise the guidance to reflect the most relevant and updated resources, changes to federal and State law, and current best practices in school-based therapy services.
The updated guidance is available here:
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/occupational_therapy.pdf
If you have any questions about the updated guidance and how it may impact your current policies, procedures, or practices, please do not hesitate to contact one of our attorneys by e-mail or by phone at (630) 313-4750.
