Positioning Occupational Therapy to Better Support Students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Position Paper on Addressing Policy and Practice Gaps

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that students with disabilities, including neurodevelopmental disorders, have access to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Occupational therapy is vital in supporting the educational and developmental needs of these students by fostering engagement in both academic and non-academic settings. However, despite federal guidelines, occupational therapy service implementation remains inconsistent across schools, often reflecting varying degrees of awareness among school personnel regarding occupational therapy’s scope and objectives, particularly for students with neurodevelopmental disorders. This paper examines the delivery of school-based occupational therapy services for students with neurodevelopmental disorders and addresses challenges in achieving consistency and effectiveness in meeting these students' unique needs. The misconceptions about occupational therapy’s role, variability in state policies, and gaps in interprofessional collaboration contribute to these challenges. The importance of interprofessional collaboration defined roles, and the alignment of legislative frameworks with the practical application is highlighted to maximize occupational therapy's impact on supporting students with neurodevelopmental and other disabilities. This paper advocates for the enhancement of occupational therapy service delivery through the improvement of the integration and enhancement of multidisciplinary teams and a clearer legislative guideline that will ensure students receive the services they need. Occupational therapy practitioners are fully equipped to address the needs of students. Improvement of training and awareness with all school professionals and the understanding of occupational therapy services are discussed to maximize the impact of supporting our students.