The Occupational and Physical Therapy Department of Missoula County Public schools offers a school-based delivery model of services to eligible students as described in the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504. School-based occupational therapy and physical therapy services are not intended to take the place of private therapy. Medical diagnoses or medical issues that do not interfere with a student’s ability to access or participate in his or her educational program are not the focus of school-based therapy services. The focus and scope of school-based occupational therapy and physical therapy is to evaluate and address the student’s ability to function within the educational environment and the performance of those tasks and activities required of him or her to access the curriculum.

OT and PT Resources  

We want to support you and your child in their gross and fine motor needs as best we can.  See the links on the right side of this page for activities that you can do with your child at home to develop fine and gross motor skills.  Scroll down this page to find contact information for our therapists.  

Our Physical Therapists want to remind you that movement can be a great way to decrease stress and offer a much needed “brain break” from school work at certain times. It can also be a way to engage siblings with one another and burn some energy, so kids are more ready to learn.  Keep it simple: take a walk outside, play a game of catch or pass a ball back and forth with your feet. You can also offer games of tag, “race” each other on the sidewalk or play a game of Simon Says. The idea is to just keep your kids moving in whatever ways are natural and work for your family. 

Occupational therapy is also ready to share any resources for handwriting, sensory strategies and/or fine motor activities to keep children engaged, facilitate learning and maintain/build on their current skills. If there are barriers to completing certain school tasks/activities, your child’s Occupational Therapist might be able to offer support.