Hey Reader,

Hey!

I want to write a different type of newsletter today.

Honestly, it is the middle of summer, many of you are off work right now, and I would rather be out by the pool than in front of my computer.

So instead of trying to force something complex about school-based OT out of my brain today, I want to share something from a podcast episode I just recorded.

The episode is not live yet.

And unlike most episodes, I did not interview an OT.

You will have to wait to find out who it is, but there was one thing this guest shared that I have not been able to stop thinking about.

Twice during our conversation, he told me that occupational therapy is one of the most important and valuable professions to the autistic community. 🤩

Us and SLPs were his top two.

That stopped me.

This was not coming from an OT talking about our own profession. This was coming from an autistic adult who has researched, written, and spoken extensively about autistic individuals and the systems that support or fail them.

Then he explained why. And honestly, it was not the reason I expected.

He said OT is so important because our profession is rooted in justice.

Not only justice for the autistic community, but justice for all populations who have been misunderstood, excluded, overlooked, or expected to fit into systems that were not built with them in mind.

He encouraged us, as a profession, to lean into those justice roots and not lose sight of them.

I keep coming back to that.

Because it is easy to forget.

It is easy to get buried in service minutes, handwriting referrals, documentation, sensory strategies, eligibility questions, and the daily realities of school-based practice.

But underneath all of that, OT has always been about helping people participate more fully in the life they want and need to live.

That is justice.

When you help a student access their classroom in a way that honors who they are, that matters.

When you help a family feel seen in an IEP meeting, that matters.

And when you advocate for supports that allow a student to belong instead of simply comply, that matters.

So I wanted to share this before the episode even goes live.

And I want you to remember it the next time you feel under-appreciated, misunderstood, or unsure whether anyone really knows what you do.

The students, teachers, and families you support may not always have the words for it, but what you do does matter to them.

Do not forget that.

Want more conversations that push school-based OT forward? The OT Schoolhouse Back to School Conference is one of the ways we keep expanding what school-based OT can look like in real schools. The sessions are practical, but the bigger goal is the same: helping OTPs think more clearly, advocate more confidently, and use the full scope of OT in school-based practice. Join us at the Back to School Conference ↗

Resource of the week 🧪

This week’s resource is the AOTA 2020 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics. (Open Access)

Justice, the 4th principle noted in the Code of Ethics, is not just a nice idea attached to an email I’m sending in the middle of your summer.

It is part of our ethical foundation and shows up in how we advocate for access, fairness, inclusion, and participation. That is worth remembering when our daily work starts to feel reduced to paperwork and service minutes.

LAST WORD 👋​
​Your Work Matters!

School-based OT is not small work.

You aren’t just providing services to your students because an IEP says so. You’re providing them with the means to advocate for themselves.

Even when our school systems make the work we do feel small, the foundation of our profession is participation, access, dignity, and justice in schools and beyond.

That does not mean every moment will feel profound. Some days will still be full of emails, busted schedules, missed lunch breaks, and goals that need updating.

But the bigger purpose is still there.

Thank you for being the OTP who keeps showing up for students, families, and school teams, even when the work is not always recognized in the moment.

And when this podcast episode goes live, I hope you will listen. I think it will challenge and encourage you in the best way.

For now, you can catch up on recent episodes here:

​Listen to the OT Schoolhouse Podcast​

Have a great mid-July week, and I'll see you next time!

👋 Jayson

Jayson Davies, MA, OTR/L
​
​Say hi 👋 on Instagram, LinkedIn,
and inside the School-Based OT Collaborative​