Occupational and physical therapy are considered related services for school-age children under the provisions of P.L. 94–142, and this provision has recently been extended to preschoolers under Part B of P.L. 99–457. This means that therapists are part of the educational team for all children who require this expertise to profit from educational experiences. Clarifying the therapist's role and how to implement it have been difficult processes for a number of reasons, including lack of knowledge about what therapists might be able to contribute to educational experiences and how to incorporate their expertise into the learning process. This article presents an introduction to the contribution that related service professionals can make to the learning of children with neurological impairments and reviews research showing the positive effects of a number of therapeutic strategies that have been reported in the literature. Methods for integrating therapeutic strategies into learning experiences and issues for future consideration also are presented.
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