OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST - REGISTERED

Orange County Public Schools; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Public Schools is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist to support students in need of related services. The role involves direct therapy, assessment, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to promote student participation in daily life activities.

The position requires licensure in Florida and a pediatric focus, with opportunities to contribute to IEP planning and program implementation within ESE itinerant & specialized services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in occupational therapy from an accredited program.
• Licensed by the Florida Department of Health in Occupational Therapy.
• One year pediatric experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide occupational therapy services to students as part of ESE itinerant & specialized services.
• Develop and contribute to IEP/504 goals and objectives for students.
• Collaborate with teachers, therapists and families to implement therapy plans.
• Supervise COTA and participate in staff development for staff on adaptive equipment.
• Maintain required documentation and departmental statistics; ensure compliance with district policies.
• Attend meetings and communicate results to staff, parents and other professionals.

Skills

Occupational therapy theory

Communication skills

Collaboration with disciplines

Data analysis

Professional development

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Doctorate

Job description

Salary Schedule

To facilitate exceptional education students' ability to participate in their educational setting and to ensure that recommendations, intervention and communication enhance students’ success in the least restrictive environment.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelors (grandfathered in 2007), Master’s or Doctorate from an accredited institution Level Program.
• Licensed by the Florida Department of Health in occupational therapy.
• One year of experience in a pediatric setting is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of occupational therapy theory and practices. Knowledge of support service delivery systems and exceptional education services and current diagnostic procedures in occupational therapy. Knowledge of federal guidelines and legislation as it relates to exceptional education; knowledge of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Ability to communicate effectively using written and oral communication skills. Ability to use effective positive interpersonal skills. Ability to analyze data, both verbal and written. Knowledge of various learning styles. Commitment to a core set of beliefs about learning, treatment, and ongoing professional development. Ability to collaborate with other disciplines and services at departmental, system levels, and to review outcomes and modify intervention programs according to student needs. Understands how to lead the process in development, implementation, and coordination of occupational therapy support as a related service. Screening, evaluation, educational program and transition planning, as well as therapeutic intervention provided for students identified with or suspected of having disabilities that interfere with their ability to perform daily life activities or participate in necessary or desired occupations. Professional judgment and clinical knowledge are used to develop individualized programming based on occupational performance deficits in the areas of personal care, student role, interaction skills, process skills, play, community integration/work, and graphic communication.

REPORTS TO Director - ESE Itinerant & Specialized Services

SUPERVISES Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)

MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT

Telephone, Computer, (Personal Computer and Mainframe), Automobile, Copier

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Describes physical conditions of this position.

• Medium Work Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated as Light Work.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Percentage

• 40 Sitting Resting with the body supported by the buttocks or thighs.
• 40 Standing Assuming an upright position on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time.
• 20 Walking Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances.
• 10 Bending Lowering the body forward from the waist.
• 10 Reaching Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• 10 Lifting Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position through the use of the upper extremities and back muscles exerting up to 10 pounds of force.
• 80 Finger Dexterity Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm.
• 70 Grasping Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• 90 Talking Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed accurately, loudly or quickly.
• 90 Hearing Acuity The ability to perceive speech and other environmental sounds at normal loudness levels.
• 90 Visual Acuity The power to see at a level which allows reading of numbers and text, operation of equipment, inspection of machines, etc.

Note Will total more than 100 percent as several activities may be performed at one time.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Conditions the worker will be subject to in this position.

Indoors and Outdoors The worker is subject to both environmental conditions. Activities occur inside and outside.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manifests a professional code of ethics and values.
• Responds to internal and external customers in a timely, accurate, courteous and empathetic manner representing OCPS in a positive light.
• Models the routine, intentional and effective use of technology in daily work, including communications, organization and management tasks.
• Provide services to exceptional student education and 504 Plan students.
• Provides support to students receiving Multi-Tiered System of Supports
• Provide occupational therapy assessment or evaluations for students suspected of a disability. Develop individual goals and objectives for students, based upon results of an occupational therapy evaluation.
• Develop and collaborate on a student’s occupational therapy goals and objectives to be incorporated into the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan.
• Implement appropriate occupational therapy services as identified through evaluations and defined by the goals and objectives of a student’s IEP.
• Identify the disparity between “what is” (current condition) and “what ought to be” (desired condition) regarding the priorities in his/her assigned programs.
• Working with and through people to develop plans and accountability systems to eradicate disparity between what is” and “what ought to be” in terms of district goals.
• Provide reevaluations of students at intervals determined to be educationally and medically appropriate.
• Provide trainings/professional development for instructional and classified staff on the use of adaptive equipment for students.
• Effectively communicate results evaluations and reports of therapy services to the educational staff, parents, students and, when appropriate and approved, to other professionals and agencies concerned with the student.
• Keep the school principal and district administrator informed of current critical issues and incidents about which they should be aware.
• Participate in staff development activities for personnel.
• Attend staffing and other school meetings when necessary and feasible.
• Maintain supplies, equipment and therapy areas.
• Maintain departmental statistics and required documentation of treatment
• Supervise COTA, as appropriate, for carrying out duties within the department.
• Participate in department meetings, contribute suggestions, enter discussions assist in the decision-making process, and share professional information with colleagues.
• Supervise OT Fieldwork students; serve as resource for other therapists
• Follow OCPS compliance procedures as it pertains to providing Occupational Therapy
• Follow the district’s policies and procedures as related to all HRMD guidelines and the district’s instructional initiatives.
• Follow the district’s policies and procedures as related to fixed assets.
• Develop leadership in subordinates.
• Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology being used by OCPS. With the support of the district, attends training to ensure skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in current position.
• Responsible for maintaining timely and accurate information and accountable for the quality of information maintained by those they supervise.

Responsible for self-development and keeping up to date on current research, trends and best practices relevant to the area of responsibility.

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.

• Essential Performance Responsibilities

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

Non-bargaining unit compensation plan, 217 days.

EVALUATION

Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on evaluation of personnel.

07/01/2026