Occupational Therapist

The Occupational Therapist provides quality school-based occupation therapy services, which include but are not limited to assessment/evaluation, intervention/treatment, IEP planning and implementation, discharge planning, related documentation, and communication between teachers, teacher assistants, and related service providers, and families. A full-time position, 11-month position working with students in self-contained non-categorical classrooms and general education inclusion classrooms.

Major Responsibilities

• Develops individualized goals and objectives to facilitate eligible students’ active participation/acquisition of functional performance skills in self-maintenance, academic and vocational pursuits, and leisure/play activities that occur in school environments.


• Prepares both written and oral reports, and presentations for determining students’ eligibility for special education services.


• Utilizes direct and indirect services, assistive technology, and/or environmental modifications to implement special educational programming to provide for the development of sensory-motor, perceptual or neuromuscular functioning and emotional, motivational, cognitive, or psychosocial performance.


• Maintains confidential files which include assessments, reviews, test results, IEPs, and documentation of consultations.


• Consults with Lee Montessori general and special education staff, parents, and community resources.


• Participates in planning team meetings for students and discusses students’ response to OT treatment; makes recommendations to enhance student function in other areas, and may make or recommend referrals to other disciplines as appropriate.


• Reviews and interprets independently generated therapy and medical reports and serves as a resource in reporting findings to other health care and related service providers.


• Attend administrative due process hearings (and other court proceedings), eligibility conferences, and other meetings.


• Ability to articulate the role of occupational therapy in the evaluation, intervention planning, and intervention process.


• Analyze tasks relative to areas of occupation, performance skills, activity demands, contexts, and student factors to implement the intervention plan.  


• Recognize occupational performance deficits in the areas of personal care, student role/interactive skills, processing skills, play, community integration, and written communication.  


• Gather screening and evaluation data, completing checklists, histories, and interviews.  


• Ability to select, adapt, and sequence relevant occupations and purposeful activities that support intervention goals.  


• Ability to prepare and maintain accurate records and progress notes.  


• Willingness to be educated and trained for specific program implementation.  


• Complete thorough evaluation, including muscle tone, range of motion/mobility, orthopedic needs, movement analysis, perceptive/fine motor skills, sensory-motor processing, and functional activities of daily living.  


• Educate and demonstrate (verbally or written) therapy techniques to parents that can be incorporated into the home.


• Attend staff meetings, in-service training, and continuing education courses as appropriate or required.  Assess and make recommendations regarding the use of adaptive equipment as needed and provide written justification.


• Deliver timely documentation of evaluation results, progress reports, discharge reports, daily notes, and service tracker notes.  


• Maintain professional clinical competency by attending certified CEU in-services and workshops.  


• Other duties as assigned.

• Preferred knowledge in Sensory Integration theory and practices.


• Successful completion and graduation from an accredited Occupational Therapy program recognized by NBCOT and completion of all fieldwork requirements  


• Initiative, strong work ethic, and the ability to positively interact and collaborate in a team environment.


• 1-2 years of experience as an occupational therapist in an urban school setting with preschoolers and elementary-aged children.  


• Certification as an occupational therapist by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).


• Current District of Columbia license as a certified occupational therapist.  


• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of strategies for students with autism, developmental delay, specific learning disabilities, and behavior disorders.  


• Be strong classroom support.  


• Demonstrate strong skills in partnering with families.  


• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of colleagues, parents, families, and community members.  


• Be committed to meeting the needs of a diverse student population.  


• Have a track record of being a team player and community-minded.  


• Be committed to their own learning.  


• Have excellent time-management skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.  


• Have a passion for urban public schools.  


• Adhere to a high level of professional and ethical standards.

EEO Statement

Lee Montessori is an equal-opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.