The Evolution of Occupational Therapy in the Public Schools: The Laws Mandating Practice

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the evolution of occupational therapy in public school systems. The focus of this history is the passage and implementation of the laws mandating service provision to children with disabilities and a cursory examination of the social, political, and economic currents that have influenced that service provision. An effort was made to cull the most salient issues currently affecting occupational therapists who work in public school systems; for this reason, information was gathered from oral history sources, which provided the bulk of the data. Additional written sources were synthesized to provide a comprehensive review of the story of occupational therapy's emergence and current responsibilities in the education of children with disabilities.