Occupational Therapy

OCCUPATIONAL  THERAPY  AT ST. JOSEPH’S SPECIAL SCHOOL

The 3 Occupational Therapists (OT’s) working at St. Josephs’ Special School are experienced, dedicated and enthusiastic in there therapy duties.                 

They are Annelie Bester, Audrey Bloemfontein and Badiah Nagia.

Occupational Therapy at our school focuses on various developmental and scholastic aspects of our special learners aged 5 to 18 years.  Our main aim is to promote and facilitate functional independence with our special needs learners. We do so by facilitating development and growth in Gross motor skills, Fine motor skills, visual perception and daily living skills.

Our approach in therapy is “Fun-based”.  We use therapeutic techniques and activities of play and we incorporate literacy, numeracy and basic concepts into therapy sessions.

We provide / responsible for:

  1. Individual Therapy

Play activities and games to facilitate improvement in gross motor development, fine motor skills, overall perception and daily living skills.

  1. Group Therapy

Motor skills training.

Daily living skills

  1. Therapy liaisons with therapists from St. Joseph’s Home

Weekly meetings with therapists at the St. Joseph’s Home, discuss therapy, discharge plans and school applications.

  1. Therapeutic horse-riding at SARDA (SA Riding for Disabled Association) in Constantia

Once a week for 8 learners, annual program

Focus on muscle tone, coordination, hyperactivity, overcoming fears

  1. Learner admissions to our school

Screening assessments of new learners to be admitted to our school.

Complete the application and admission process (parent interviews, assessments, correspondence with Education District and Head office)

  1. Conduct and present training workshops

Provide in-service training to our staff at school

Outreach (present training workshops) to other schools as identified by the District

  1. Clinical supervision to OT students in training

UCT 3rd and 4th year OT students

UWC 3rd year students

  1. General health service link at Bishop Lavis day hospital

Dentistry services

Eye tests

Emergency medical needs

  1. Annual concert

Produce and direct the annual production.

Concert clothes management.

Fundraising

  1. Netball coaching

Coach the junior and senior Netball teams.

Attend sports meetings.