By Katie Lugo, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Integration Therapy Lead
The Primary classroom is buzzing with energy. I walk around the tables of kindergarteners and first graders, handing out shortened pencils that promote a functional grasp and visual/fine motor integration. The students continue to work on the problem in front of them and I provide in-the-moment feedback. But I’m not their teacher. I’m the occupational therapy assistant that is integrated into this class. My job is to support my partner teacher, in this case the Primary teacher, in skills that will help the students become successful.
At New Way, integration therapy embeds Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy services directly into classroom settings so therapists work alongside teachers to deliver interventions, strategies, and supports in the same contexts where students learn and interact. In addition to individual and small-group Speech and OT sessions, integrated services occur during regular classroom activities and lunch, recess, and extracurriculars, to continue practicing skills repeatedly throughout the school day as they naturally occur.
Integration therapy is grounded in evidence-based practice and provides multiple benefits.
For Students
Student goals are more effectively achieved and skills generalize better when therapy occurs in students’ everyday environments. We can check that the skills we’re teaching in one-on-one sessions are being applied in group or classroom contexts, reinforce skills being taught, and practice in real scenarios. When we work in the classroom with students, it reduces the chance that they will miss important instruction because they are not being removed for separate therapy sessions. Plus, it enables us to adjust in real time based on observation of student performance.
For Teachers
When we as therapists work in the classroom, it creates a collaborative and supportive environment that strengthens instructional practices and promotes cohesive support for each student. Plus, teachers gain practical techniques they can use to reinforce and extend skills throughout the day.
For Parents
When therapists and teachers are present together with students, communication improves in both quantity and quality. It’s easier to coordinate supports, share accurate information with families, and respond quickly to student needs.
But what does integration therapy look like? It can take several forms depending on classroom goals. Alongside the teachers, we use co-teaching models. Each model allows for flexible, context-sensitive delivery of therapy that complements classroom instruction. These models include:
• One Teach, One Support – One educator leads instruction while the other circulates to offer targeted support
• Station Teaching – Students rotate through stations where different providers deliver focused activities
• Alternative Teaching – Small-group instruction for targeted practice while the rest of the class continues with a different activity
• Team Teaching – Both educators share instruction and planning
• Specialist-led Routines or Unique Activities – Therapists lead specific structured activities within the classroom routine
Co-teaching and integrated services are professional and rewarding experiences for educators across backgrounds and levels of experience. Collaboration brings together complementary expertise—teachers’ knowledge of curriculum and classroom management with therapists’ skills in communication and motor development—so the team can meet students where they are. Working together not only supports individualized student growth but also fosters shared responsibility for progress and more seamless implementation of interventions.
By embedding therapists in everyday school routines and co-planning with teachers, students receive more consistent opportunities to practice target skills, educators expand their instructional repertoire, and teams can monitor and adjust supports quickly to maximize student outcomes.
