April 2025

• Isabelle’s Instagram posts are incredibly cute and creative!
• Esme for presenting to the staff at Ross Preschool; Ross Preschool staff are now well-informed on sensory props for classroom regulation and motor development.
• Another successful GHA gathering was coordinated and planned by Bryant!
• The OT team now has access to online scoring for the PDMS-3 and BOT-3 assessments, thanks to Kellie!
• School-based mentorship is being offered to the OT team by Kat, who has extensive school based experience!
• A summer intern will be welcomed by Bryant & Meghan, to support the OT profession.
• Thanks to Kristen, Additional evaluation spots were opened in March to support our community of families! Lucky kids & parents:)

• We have ordered the BOT-3 and PDMS-3 assessments!
• Starting April 1st we will implement a check in/check out process for all assessments used in the clinic or taken off-site.
  • This form will be located next to the travel bags and in front of the assessment cabinet.
• Kat is available for mentorship for OTs working in the public school setting (please request meeting time from directors before setting up a time to chat about any school-based needs).
• Beginning on April 1st, therapists have reserved administrative hours to bill each pay period: Full-time clinicians may bill up to 1.5 hours per pay period and part-time clinicians can bill up to 1 hour per pay period. (Insert as a one-time block in fusion per pay period. Tasks performed must be inserted in the appointment note, i.e. “newsletter review, team meeting attendance, responding to director emails).
  • Please review this excerpt from our employee manual, for more detailed information on what tasks fall within the administrative rate. 

OT Specific Kaiser Update:

• Remember goal areas should be specific to activities of daily living to justify a medical-based need for therapy. If you have any questions about goal areas for a Kaiser progress report, please check in with Kellie.

GOAL AREAS TO AVOID FOR OT KAISER CLIENTS:

• Goals that work on higher-level tasks like cooking, cleaning or folding/putting away laundry
• Catching a ball
• Attending table-top activity for a certain amount of time.
  Riding bikes or tricycles.
• Anything that involves cutting, writing, puzzles, or tracing.
  Goals that work on improving attention or sensory regulation
• Tasks that work on improving attention or sensory regulation, including goals that work on “tolerate” and or “cooperate.”
• Obstacle course goals.

School-Based Therapists Serving School Contracts Reminders: 

• Fusion schedules should reflect the session time the child was seen on campus
• For public schools, documentation should be in SEIS unless your director says otherwise
• Please use the “Drive Time- Admin” preset when driving between worksites

Food School Treatment Space and Supplies: 

• If you use the food school space or food school appliances for a therapy activity please remember to clean up after yourself including doing any dishes/wipe down trays, etc. or ask Sam for assistance as there are feeding kids with allergies and we need to be extremely cautious that there is no cross-contamination.
• Please do not leave dirty dishes overnight
• Please do not take food or other items reserved for food school/therapy to avoid interrupting treatment plans that week for the feeding kids.
  • If you have a client that relies on a sensory snack, please check in with admin about having a separate snack available or ask the family to send in options as well.

Reminders From Admin:

• If evaluation availability is added or removed from the evaluation calendar later in the month, please send Emily an email to ensure she gets notified
• Please CC admin when sending evaluation reports to the family so they can keep track for scheduling purposes
• Authorization Tracking/Vacation Planning:
  • As a safeguard to our current authorization tracking process, if a therapist is going on vacation/finding converge for sessions they will note any insurance clients that would have an authorization expiring during that time
    • There is now a section in the Time Off Form to note any kiddos with expiring authorizations while a therapist is on vacation
    • Admin will help keep track of this and notify the family if needed

Session Reminders:

• Please stay with kids in the gym area especially when in group.  Groups should not be left alone in the sensory-motor gym.  If you need assistance with transitions, please check in with admin for support.
• To help facilitate use of the Oral Motor Bin, we have moved the box higher so therapists/adults are the only ones with access. When kids have gum please be sure that they are disposing of it in the trash

**Any new clinician books will be in the conference room bookshelf. New games can be found in our game cabinets on the treatment floor.

• Kaiser Progress Report Template
• PR Reminders From Kaiser
• Webinar Recording – Utilizing SPACE Treatment to Enhance Therapeutic Outcomes for Selective Mutism
• Sensory Observations Checklist for Evals
• Video on Measuring PRN for OTs
• Podcast: Practical Tips for Sensory Integration Sessions
• Selective Mutism and Misophonia: Understanding the Connection and How to Help
• STAR Proficiency Level 1 Program (April-June 2025)
• “Hybrid” Level 1 Mentorship Program (May 2025)
• AUS STAR Foundations of Development Sensory Processing, Regulation, and Relationship
• STAR Foundations of Development Course (June 2025)
• STAR Proficiency Level 2 Program (July – Aug 2025)
• Stress-Management Activities
  • Content Spotlight: Interactive Goal Poster – Self-Controller Scanner
  • Pre-K & K: Yoga Pose Library
  • Pre-K & K: Taking a Break When I Need It Video
  • Elementary: Fork in the Road: Handling Academic Stress Video
  • Elementary: De-Stress Before Taking a Test Mindfulness Video
  • Middle & High: Stress Management Strategies Video
  • Middle & High: Handling Academic Stress Activity