Occupational Therapy

John Carroll Administration Building

1400 Nalley Terrace
Landover, MD 20785

Phone No.

240-696-3218

Fax No.

N/A

Division:

Chief Academic Officer

Reports To:

Special Education

Contact Information

Dorothea Copeland, OTD, OTR/L

Instructional Specialist

doroth.copeland@pgcps.org

About

The Prince George’s County Public Schools Occupational Therapy (OT) Service may provide direct or consultative services to students birth through 21 years old who have delays with motor, organization/ planning or social interaction skills that prevent them from accessing or making progress in the natural learning environment. Early intervention and school based occupational therapy providers use meaningful, goal-directed activities and modifications to the environment as key interventions to improve a child’s functional participation and academic progress within their roles and routines occurring in the natural learning environment. Early intervention and school based occupational therapy services focus on outcomes of preparing the child for school (Early Intervention OT) and for the child to participate in the educational curriculum (School-based OT).

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know if my school-aged child has needs that may require support from an Occupational Therapist?

Your child may need school-based occupational therapy supports if they are not making progress/have difficulty participating in school routines because they have challenges with:

Managing school materials (e.g. glue, scissors, paper/pencil, ruler, computer, backpack, notebook),
Managing their clothes during the school day,
Coping with transitions,
Writing legibly and producing written work following a period of consistent instruction
Participating in sensory experiences,
Participating in mealtime,
Participating in recess,
Engaging in social interactions and academic activities.

What do I do if I think my school aged child might need the support of occupational therapy?

Contact your child’s teacher to request a Student InterventionTeam (SIT) meeting for a consultation with the school’s occupational therapist. If you are a resident of Prince George's County and your child (5-21 years old) does not currently attend a public school in our district, please contact the Child Find office at 301-618-8300.

If your child is 3-5 years old, please call the Preschool Child Find office at 301-925-6600

What do I do if I think my infant or toddler might need the support of an occupational therapist?

Call the Child Find Office at 301-925-6600 If your child is 0-2 years old and you have any of the following concerns related to occupational therapy for your child:

Difficulty playing with toys or objects
Difficulty feeding
Delays with rolling, sitting or crawling
Prematurity or a medical diagnosis affecting motor development
How are decisions made about providing occupational therapy services?

Following an occupational therapy assessment, OT services may be provided if your child has a developmental disability or educational disability that requires the expertise of an occupational therapy practitioner for your child/student to make developmental progress in school readiness activities (early intervention) or to access instruction or make functional and/ or academic progress in school (school based services).