This course focuses on an underutilized area of occupational therapy (OT) practice within school-based practice. This is supported by current peer-reviewed research. There are significant disparities between post-secondary education students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. Very few students with disabilities receive school-based OT after age 13. The course uses a case vignette to demonstrate the unique contributions the occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) member of the secondary transition Individual Education Plan (IEP) team can make to improve post-secondary outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities.
Live Webinar
Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 3:00 pm EDTUnder Review: AOTA/0.15 - Application has been made to the American Occupational Therapy Association's (AOTA's) Approved Provider Program.
Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to analyze disparities among young adults with and without disabilities, and their impact on students with intellectual disabilities post-high school outcomes.
- After this course, participants will be able to analyze occupational therapy's theoretical underpinnings for assessments and interventions that support the OTP, aligning with the Occupational Therapy Performance Framework-4, as part of the post-secondary transition process in school-based practice.
- After this course, participants will be able to differentiate strategies for the school-based OTP to use to inform transition team members of their value within the secondary transition IEP team.
Agenda
| 0-15 Minutes | Introduction and Objectives |
| 15-20 Minutes | Background |
| 20-25 Minutes | Role of the School-based OT |
| 25-45 Minutes | Recent Research |
| 45-55 Minutes | Disparities and School-based OTP, IDEA |
| 55-85 Minutes | Strategies for the School-based OT; Case Vignette |
| 85-90 Minutes | Summary and Q&A |
Presented By
Sheryl Zellis
OTD, MS, OTR/L
Sheryl Zellis has 40 years of experience as an occupational therapist. This includes clinical and operational leadership roles on interprofessional teams with diverse populations across a variety of settings. Sheryl has served as an adjunct professor in occupational therapy assistant college programs and as a clinical supervisor of level 2 students in nontraditional settings. Dr.Zellis holds a Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and a master's degree in health education with a focus on public health. She has recently completed a post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy.
On a personal note, her youngest child has Down Syndrome. As a result, she has a strong knowledge base regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Dr. Zellis has been a strong advocate for educational and community meaningful inclusion for students with intellectual disabilities. This has developed into a movement to foster inclusive education for her own son and many others in this vulnerable population. She understands the need for a strong, meaningful secondary transition that includes the occupational therapy practitioner to provide occupational justice, which impacts many students' futures.
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Continued and its subsidiaries provide professional education authored by qualified Subject Matter Experts for continuing education purposes. These materials are intended for educational purposes and do not constitute medical advice or a substitute for individual clinical judgment. Continued is not a clinical healthcare provider; the licensed professional is solely responsible for ensuring that the application of any techniques or information presented is within their legal scope of practice and jurisdictional requirements.
Financial: Sheryl Zellis received an honorarium for presenting this course. Non-financial: Sheryl Zellis has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
Sponsor Disclosure: This Course is presented by OccupationalTherapy.com, a Continued site.
Content Disclosure: This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Course participation information
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NOTE: Full attendance for all courses is mandatory. For self-study courses, this includes reading the full text, listening to the full audio recording, or watching the complete video, as appropriate for the format of the course.
Passing an online exam and completing a course evaluation will be required to earn continuing education credit.
Live Webinars allow presenter and participant interaction. The exam and course evaluation for these courses must be completed within 7 days of the event.
On-demand courses include texts, video and audio recordings of live webinars, and multimedia formats. The exam and course evaluation for on-demand courses must be completed within 30 days of course registration.
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