School-Based Occupational Therapists: When and When Not To Dismiss Students From Your Caseload (Grades PK-12) Presented by Tara Warwick, OTD, MS, OTR/L Outstanding Occupational Therapist and National Presenter

Specifically Designed for Occupational Therapists Serving Grades PreK-12

Practical Ideas and Strategies

Are you looking for a more structured and evidence-based approach to determine when students have reached their highest level of independence and are ready for dismissal from OT services? Do you experience hurdles when attempting to dismiss students from school-based occupational therapy? Learn ways to make your approach to dismissal more systematic and determine a student's individualized dismissal criteria, as well as how to monitor their progress toward dismissal, and how to successfully guide your team through the dismissal process. In this NEW seminar, outstanding OT and national presenter Dr. Tara Warwick draws from her experience working with PreK-12 students to share the most current recommendations surrounding dismissal practices. You'll leave with increased confidence in your dismissal decision making. Current best practices for dismissal, including national and federal recommendations, will strengthen your intentional practices around dismissal. Explore the most common hurdles OTs face when attempting to discontinue services, along with a wealth of tangible, use-tomorrow solutions. This is a seminar you won't want to miss!

Ten Key Benefits of Attending

1. Confidently Explain When and Why a Student Should Be Dismissed From OT Services
   Learn current best practices for dismissal … Utilize an easy-to-implement portfolio to evidence whether dismissal is warranted
2. Follow a Structured Approach to Dismissal
   Receive a flowchart and accompanying materials to consistently take steps toward dismissal … Leave with a dismissal portfolio, rubrics, report templates, meeting scripts, graduation certificates, and much more!
3. Tackle Common Barriers to a Successful OT Services Exit Plan
   Receive national and federal guidance to back your dismissal decision-making … Problem-solve for students who have a lack of vested interest or noncompliance
4. Track Readiness for OT Dismissal
   Monitor several indicators that a student may be ready to discontinue occupational therapy services … Receive progress monitoring tools to keep tabs on their movement toward dismissal
5. Benefit From a Basic Skills or Learning Strategies Approach
   Clearly state whether the dismissal goal is to remediate a lagging skill or teach a strategy to compensate … Set yourself up to have a clear point at which dismissal should occur
6. Effectively Bridge Generalization and Carryover
   Move students from using a skill in structured sessions toward real-life situations … Receive a generalization toolkit with concrete steps and strategies to employ
7. Evidence How a Student's Disability No Longer Affects Their Educational Performance
   Document with confidence how occupational therapy services are or are not warranted … Use this information to lead discussions regarding dismissal
8. Capitalize on Least Restrictive Environment and Inclusive Practices
   Show team members how the student is able to transfer their learned skills to the classroom … How to support the transition from direct therapy to classroom carryover and success
9. Reframe Dismissal as a Positive Outcome for Students
   Help your team create a school culture that embraces dismissal as a positive action … Celebrate students reaching their highest levels of independence!
10. Receive a Detailed OT Services Dismissal Digital Resource Handbook
    Leave with an extensive digital resource handbook, filled with step-by-step guides, materials, and resources designed to help you make your OT services dismissal processes systematic, evidence-based and successful

Outstanding Strategies You Can Use Immediately

Here's what you'll learn:

• When and when not to dismiss students from OT … Strengthen intentional practices around dismissal
• Highly effective, evidence-based approaches for determining and monitoring readiness for dismissal
• Numerous dismissal process tools including a dismissal portfolio, meeting scripts, graduation certificates, and much more!
• Systematic approaches that guide school-based OTs through the stages of dismissal
• Ready-to-use frameworks for a more structured dismissal process and step-by-step flowcharts to guide your decisions
• Easy-to-adapt templates for evaluation reports, goal writing, and rubrics
• Generalization and self-advocacy techniques to help students achieve their highest level of independence
• Accommodations to support students after dismissal from occupational therapy services
• Powerful, current strategies that allow OTs to address compliance factors related to discontinuation of services
• National and federal guidance to bolster your dismissal decision making
• Prompt hierarchies that accelerate the results of your treatment and move toward dismissal
• How to successfully talk about and prepare the team for dismissal
• Progress monitoring tools that decrease the likelihood of students remaining in treatment longer than warranted

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the seminar you will be able to:

• Identify and apply criteria aligned with IDEA and AOTA standards to determine when dismissal from occupational therapy services is and is not educationally appropriate
• Recognize best use of student performance data, IEP goals, and collaborative input to support evidence-based decision-making for discharge planning in school-based settings
• Identify recommended practice of documenting OT dismissal, including prior written notice, progress summaries, and transition recommendations, in accordance with legal and ethical best practices

A Message From Your Seminar Leader

Dear Colleague:

As school-based occupational therapists, we know how powerful our services can be in helping students access their education. But what happens when a student no longer needs us? For many OTs, dismissing a student is far more complicated than starting services. Without consistent state guidelines or clear-cut criteria, we're often left navigating gray areas— balancing educational relevance, team expectations, parent concerns, and our own professional judgment. Dismissal isn't just a clinical decision— it's a relational, emotional, and logistical process. And it's not always easy. You may feel pressure to "keep helping" even when the data says otherwise. You might worry about family reaction, or question whether the student is "ready enough." Sometimes the delay in dismissal is simply because the path forward feels unclear.

That's why I created this seminar— a full day of strategies, tools and real talk about the art and science of discontinuing OT services. We'll look at how to plan for dismissal from the very beginning of service delivery, how to define functional progress in ways that support discharge, and how to scaffold student success so that therapy fades out rather than abruptly ends. You'll leave with a concrete toolbox: checklists, documentation tips, team conversation scripts, and ways to support student transition and independence— all rooted in best practices for school-based OTs.

My hope is to provide you with both clarity and confidence so that when the time for dismissal comes, it doesn't feel like a guessing game. Instead, it becomes a natural, supported and student-centered next step. I invite you to join me for a day filled with practical insights, collaborative problem-solving and a shared commitment to helping students thrive at school— with or without us.

Sincerely,
Tara Warwick, OTD, MS, OTR/L

P.S. You'll receive my dismissal digital resource handbook, which includes a dismissal flowchart, portfolio to evidence readiness, rubrics, dismissal report templates, meeting scripts, graduation certificates, and much more, so you can start this work tomorrow!

Who Should Attend

School-Based Occupational Therapists Serving Grades PreK-12

Special Benefits of Attending

Extensive Digital Resource Handbook
Each participant will receive an extensive digital resource handbook specifically designed for this seminar. The handbook includes:

• Guidelines to determine a student's readiness for dismissal
• Materials that support monitoring a student's progress
• Evidence-based strategies to create intentional OT dismissal plans for PreK to Grade 12 students
• Effective strategies for successfully incorporating team members and leading discussions about dismissal
• Practical tools and resources to guide your teamwork and dismissal-planning

For in-person seminars, registrants will also receive a printed copy of the resource handbook as long as their registration is received in the BER office at least 15 calendar days before the event.

Share Ideas
This seminar provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to meet and share ideas with other school-based OTs interested in refining their caseload management toward student success.

Consultation Available
Tara Warwick will be available for consultation regarding your questions and the unique needs of your own program.

Financial Disclosure Statement for Tara Warwick
Presenter for the Bureau of Education & Research and receives honorarium compensation.
Presenter may also have a financial or non-financial interest in products or services mentioned at this seminar.

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