Partnering for Change School-Based Occupational Therapy Services

Partnering for Change (P4C) is collaborative, tiered model for the delivery of occupational therapy services in school. In P4C, occupational therapy services are provided to children based on need. The principles of the P4C model are reflected in the four Cs: Building Capacity through Collaboration and Coaching in the School Context. The P4C model also reflects the partnership between therapists, families, and educators to create physical, social, and learning environments that facilitate successful engagement and participation for all children. The P4C model focuses on relationship building and sharing of knowledge as the foundation for building others’ capacity and collaboratively delivering Tier 1 Universal Services that foster learning and development in children of all abilities, Tier 2 Targeted Services for children who need additional support, even when universal strategies or environmental modifications have been put in place, and Tier 3 Individualized Services for children with greatest need and when more tailored services would best support children and their families. Monitoring how children respond to the services provided at each tier is key to determining when children need more support to participate and learn at school. Children can receive services at more than one tier at the same time, and services can be initiated at any tier. When delivering P4C, the school community is the focus of services, allowing therapists to impact the greatest numbers of children. Therapists monitor children’s responses to services and adjust the intensity of the services that they provide as they collaborate with educators and families. In the P4C model, collaboration and service delivery occur in the classroom and other important school environments so that the children can apply new skills where they are needed.