Speech and Occupational Therapy in Special Schools: A Parent’s Guide

Speech Therapy vs Occupational Therapy at a Glance

What Speech Therapy Actually Covers

Speech therapy is often assumed to be only about pronunciation or “talking clearly.” In practice, a speech-language therapist’s work is broader and covers:

• Language development : Understanding words, forming sentences, and following instructions.
• Communication skills : This includes verbal speech, but also alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) tools like picture cards, communication boards, or devices, for children who are non-verbal or minimally verbal.
• Social communication : Turn-taking in conversation, understanding tone and context, and reading social cues.
• Feeding and oral-motor skills : in some cases, particularly for younger children.

Therapy is individualised. A child working on early word formation needs a very different approach from a child who speaks fluently but struggles with social communication in a group setting.

What Occupational Therapy Actually Covers

Occupational therapy (OT) is frequently misunderstood as being about jobs or vocational training. In a school context, it’s about the skills a child needs to function and participate, including:

• Fine motor skills: Handwriting, using scissors, buttoning a shirt, using cutlery.
• Gross motor skills: Balance, coordination, and movement needed for both classroom activities and play.
• Sensory processing: Helping children who are over- or under-sensitive to sound, touch, light, or movement regulate their responses so they can stay engaged in class.
• Daily living skills: Self-care tasks like dressing, eating independently, and organising personal belongings.

An occupational therapist typically works closely with classroom teachers to adapt materials, seating, or routines so a child’s sensory or motor needs are supported throughout the school day, not only during a therapy session.

Why Integration Into the School Day Matters

A common misconception is that these therapies work best as standalone, clinical sessions outside of school. In reality, children generalise skills better when therapy is woven into daily school routines rather than confined to a separate room for 30 minutes a week.

This is why school-based therapy models, where therapists coordinate directly with classroom teachers and see children in the context of actual classroom activities, tend to produce more consistent progress than therapy that’s entirely disconnected from a child’s school environment.

Checklist: Questions Parents Should Ask a Special School

When evaluating a special school’s therapy support, it’s worth asking directly:

• Are speech and occupational therapists on staff, or brought in periodically?
• How often does a child typically receive therapy, and is it individual, group, or both?
• Do therapists coordinate with classroom teachers, and how is that communicated to parents?
• Is progress tracked and shared with parents on a regular basis, and how?
• How are therapy goals adjusted as a child’s needs change over time?
• Is the approach individualised, or applied the same way to every child?

FAQs

What’s the difference between speech therapy and occupational therapy?

Speech therapy focuses on communication, language, and social interaction. Occupational therapy focuses on motor skills, sensory processing, and daily-living independence. Many children receive both, since the two often support overlapping goals.

Do all children in a special school need both therapies?

No. Therapy needs are individualised. Some children need speech therapy only, some need OT only, and some need both, depending on their specific developmental profile.

How do parents know if therapy is actually helping?

Regular, specific progress updates from therapists, ideally tied to measurable goals rather than general statements, are the clearest sign a program is tracking outcomes properly. Parents should expect and ask for this.

Can therapy needs change as a child gets older?

Yes. Therapy goals should be reassessed periodically rather than fixed once and left unchanged, since a child’s needs typically shift as they develop and as school demands change.

Our Approach

At Bethany Special School, therapy support is built around each child’s individual needs, coordinated with classroom staff rather than treated as a separate track. Our approach draws on the same principle behind our broader Learning Lab and LEAP support programs: consistent, integrated help works better than occasional, isolated sessions.

Want to understand how our therapy and classroom support work together for your child? Get in touch with our admissions team.