Emotional Disability and OT

Children with emotional disability (also known as emotional disturbance) are significantly more likely than children with other disabilities to:

• NOT be integrated into regular classrooms

• Experience a disciplinary removal

• Drop out of school

Over the years, multiple social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been developed to support children with emotional disabilities. But, New York City Public Schools found that one-size-fits all programs were not sufficient for their student population.

So, the district created—and began studying—an educational pilot called the Path Program. At the heart of this program are OT professionals and occupational therapy concepts.

The journal article we are reviewing in this 1-hour CE course describes the research-practice partnership that supported this program’s development—and the role of trauma-informed care in social-emotional learning interventions.

After we review the article, we will welcome Michelle Flemen-Tung, MSEd, the program director for the Path Program. She will share concrete ways we can all improve the support we provide to kids with emotional disabilities.

1. You will be able to identify OT interventions that can be utilized with children with emotional disability.

2. You will be able to recognize how trauma informed can be integrated into OT interventions that can be utilized with children with emotional disability.

• Intro and breakdown of journal article

  • Intro

  • What is social-emotional learning?

  • What is the Path Program?

  • What was the intent of this research?

  • How the Path Program is being implemented

  • Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle

  • Lessons from the Path Program

  • Intro to Michelle Flemen-Tung

• Discussion on practical implications for OTs

  1. How the Path Program came to be

  2. How is the program funded?

  3. How has the Path Program changed you?

  4. Article impressions

  5. What is the role of OT in this program?

  6. What can other school OTs takeaway from this program?

  7. What can we take away about trauma informed care?

  8. What kernel-sized interventions can OTs take away?

  9. How can OTs spearhead a similar program in their school?

Primary

• Adapting SEL interventions to meet student needs: A research-practice partnership supporting students with emotional disabilities

Additional

• Understanding and responding to the effects of trauma in the classroom: A primer for educators

• Positive Mental Health Strategies Impact on Students with Emotional Disturbances’ Attention to Task

Resources mentioned in the episode

• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools

• Zones of Regulation

• Learn Play Thrive Podcast on Neurodiversity-affirming SEL

• Connection over Compliance (book)

• Trauma-Responsive Pedagogy: Teaching for Healing and Transformation (book)

• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

OT Potential pays guest speakers an honorarium for their participation, either directly or to an institution of the speaker's choosing at their request. We invite guests whose expertise often comes from practices, programs, or building products in their field. Where a speaker has a financial interest in the subject of a course, we disclose it below so you can weigh it for yourself.

OT Potential's interest in this topic: We have no financial stake in this topic.

Speaker interests: Michelle Flemen-Tung has no financial interest in this topic to disclose.