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>> My name is Karen Wallace,

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and I'm an occupational therapy
assistant, or otherwise known as a CODA.

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I provide occupational therapy services to
students in Kindergarten through 12th grade

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in a school setting, and where I work
on student's goals based on their IEP,

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which is an individualized education
plan geared for that specific student.

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So occupational therapy is geared for,
in the school based setting where I work,

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it's for functionality, to make the student
as functional in the school based setting,

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and to be successful in the
educational environment.

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So for instance, I see a variety of
students with a variety of needs.

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It could be from anywhere from physical
disability to developmental delays

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to social emotional, and you
work on their specific goals.

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It could be anywhere from handwriting function
to adaptations to make that student successful

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in the school environment,
to be working with his peers.

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So it could be adaptations for a pencil
grip to promote a functional grasp pattern,

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to something as, you know, a
slant board to promote posture.

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Or they may have to work on their goals to
be functional to be able to be successful to,

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for self help skills, to be able to dress,
to be able to, you know, feed themselves,

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open containers, milk cartons,
shoes tying skills.

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So something that's so simple that we take
for granted can be a struggle for students,

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and that's what we actually work with them
to be more successful for functional basis.

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So, basically when I start working
with a student, I'll, you know,

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go to their classroom, talk to the teacher.

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Teacher cooperation is a big thing, so you're
always, with the job, you're always working

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with the teachers, the support
staff, be it a paraprofessional,

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the special education department, parents.

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Like I'm big with parental input,
especially when we have IEP meetings,

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because that's another part of the job,
where you'll have to not only, you know,

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service the students and provide therapy,
but you have to write, you know, your IEP,

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you have to attend the IEP meeting
with the other team members.

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And that's, and collaboration
comes into a big part there.

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You might have other services for this student,
physical therapies, speech therapy, you know,

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hearing, you know, therapy,
so cooperation is a big part.