Resources for Occupational Therapists

Reviewed:

This topical guide will introduce you to important books, videos, and information resources available from the EI Clearinghouse and other sources. Contact us via online form or by phone (1-877-275-3227) to request a resource listed below (or ask your local public librarian). Note that some videos may be viewed online, and journal titles will take you to the publisher’s homepage.

toddler hands with toy cars

Books

A Guide to Early Intervention for Occupational Therapists
Whitney Garrison
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011
This book covers early intervention, laws, child development, assessments, and more. This is targeted specifically to occupational therapists and has basic information, activities, and resources.
Call#: HV 713 .G2421 2011

A Practitioner’s Guide to Clinical Occupational Therapy
Donna Weiss, Marlene J. Morgan, Moya Kinnealey
Pro-Ed, 2012
This book covers many physical and mental health issues such as ADHD, carpal tunnel, etc., and gives information about how to work with a patient with one of the included issues.
Call#: WB 555 .W4361 2012

Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration
Ellen Yack, Paula Aquilla, Shirley Sutton
Sensory World, 2015
This book covers the basics of occupational therapy and sensory integration. It describes the sensory systems and has strategies and activities for enhancing these sensory skills at home, at school, and in childcare settings. Another topic in this book is strategies for challenging behaviors.
Call#: WS 340 .Y12b 2015  

The Essential Guide for Newly Qualified Occupational Therapists
Ruth Parker, et al.
Jessica Kingsley, 2018
This book is a guide for newly qualified occupational therapists provides an authoritative overview of what to expect in your role and work settings, and is full of practical guidance on how to make good start to a successful practice.
Only available as an eBook

Helping Children to Improve Their Gross Motor Skills: The Stepping Stones Curriculum
Rachel White
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017
This book focuses on 5-18-year olds and has ways to improve motor skills and coordination. Activities included have step by step instructions on how to help children and ensure they are getting the right occupational therapy.
Call#: GV 443 .W5821 2017

The Occupational Therapist’s Handbook for Inclusive School Practices
Julie Causton
Brookes Publishing, 2014
This book is a friendly, down-to-earth survival guide occupational therapists need to deliver their important services effectively as apart of an inclusive school team.
Call#: WS 368 .C312 2014
Also available as an eBook

Occupational Therapy: Activities for kids; 100 Fun Games and Exercises to Build Skills
Heather Ajzenman
Rockridge Press, 2020
This book has multiple occupational therapy activities for children to strengthen sensory processing, motor, social-emotional, and cognitive and visual processing areas. These activities can be done at home at any time.
Call#: WS 368 .Aj98 2020  

Occupation-Centered Practice with Children: A Practical Guide for Occupational Therapists
Sylvia Rodger
Blackwell Publishing, 2010
This guide includes topics about working with children, goal setting, intervention, occupational performance coaching, among many other things.
Call#: WS 368 .R7230 2010

The Occupational Therapist’s Handbook for Inclusive School Practices
Julie Causton
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, 2014
This book focuses on inclusive education and how occupational therapists can work to be more inclusive and develop support for their patients. It provides behavior, social, and academic supports.
Call#: WS 368 .C312 2014

Quick Reference to Occupational Therapy
Kathylyn L. Reed
Pro-Ed, 2014
This eBook is an occupational therapy handbook with contents of developmental disorders, sensory disorders, nervous system disorders, etc.
Call#: WS 368 .R2511 2014

Videos

Integrated Therapies and Teamwork Equals Success!
30 min; DVD
Healthy Learning, 2011
This DVD shows how children benefit from physical, occupational, and speech therapies. It explains how teachers, administrators, and therapists use models in their classrooms to benefit children.
Call#: LC 3965 .I351 2011

Occupational Therapy in the School
90 min; DVD
Healthy Learning, 2011
This DVD demonstrates how to incorporate movement into lessons and how to calm down students. Sensory situations that could arise in school are addressed. Major topics in this video are motor skills, posture, individual sensory needs, incorporating movement into teaching, and transitions.
Call#: WB 555 .C7121 2008

OT for Children with Autism, Special Needs, & Typical
45 min; DVD
Healthy Learning, 2011
This DVD is an introduction to occupational therapy and shows how helpful it is to children with behavior or sensory issues. This video gives parents ways to integrate OT into their homes. Topics include motor planning, oral motor, visual motor, organization of behavior, and more. This video targets children older than 2 ½.
Call#: WS 350.2 .C7121 2007

Organizations

American Occupational Therapy Association
This website gives information and resources to professionals such as resources for a classroom, working with patients, etc. You can also access the American Journal of Occupational Therapy from this website.

Articles

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(6),823-842
Providing Occupational Therapy Using Sensory Integration Theory and Methods in School-Based Practice
Roley et al. (2009)
This article provides information on how to integrate the sensory integration theory into practice and discusses the various methods that can be used. Case examples are used, and various approaches and examples are shown.

British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(3),121-127
The Importance of Pretend Play in Child Development: An Occupational Therapy Perspective
Stagnitti, K., &] Unsworth, C. (2000)
This article explains how important pretend play is during occupational therapy and developing social and motor skills and gives recommendations to occupational therapy professionals on integrating pretend play into their work.

Web Resources

Zero to Three’s OT Plan
This website allows parents or occupational therapists to search by skills, which generates a list of activities that promote the specific skill they are looking for. There is another option to search by materials where you input what materials you would like to use (balls, paper, etc.) and a list of activities using those materials is generated.