Occupational Therapist

Position Type:
Student Support Services/Occupational Therapist

Date Posted:
10/1/2026

Location:
TBD

Date Available:
SY26-27
Occupational Therapist

Revised: April 2025

Perm/contract:

SY26-27

Department:

Core Instruction


FLSA Status:

Non-exempt


Reports To:

Core Instruction Administration


Primary Reporting Location:

TBD

Level:

Elementary PK-8

Compensation:

In accordance with Oak Park Teachers Association Collective

Date Available:

SY26-27

Bargaining Unit & Classification:

OPTA & Certified


Supervisory Responsibilities:

N/A

Benefits:

Insurance- medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance are available

Leaves- paid sick and personal days provided


Retirement- pre-tax retirement plans (e.g. 403b available)


Portrait of a District 97 Leader:

• Champions the vision of the school district
• Models a forward-thinking and innovative mindset
• Stewards public funds with a high sense of responsibility
• Leads with an unrelenting commitment to universal student success
• Demonstrates the ability to organize teams to achieve common goals
• Leads with an awareness of the cross-functional nature of district work
• Generates a culture of care for, learning with and service to the community
• Aspires to the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and confidentiality
• Demonstrates a passion for working with a culturally, racially linguistically diverse district team of administrators, educators and staff in all roles
• Actively seeks feedback, including critical feedback intended for professional growth
• Understands the intersection of public school leadership, student learning and equity
• Courageously addresses adult behavior that does not meet professional expectations

About This Role

District 97 seeks a dedicated and dynamic full-time Occupational Therapist to join our team. The job of the Occupational Therapist was established for the purpose(s) of assessing students' functional physical development level, planning and implementing appropriate treatment to meet individual student objectives, identifying architectural barriers, and providing recommendations for accessibility, program development, and student placement in various school locations as needed.

Essential Role Responsibilities:

Administers occupational therapy procedures and modalities to achieve IEP/504 plan objectives.


1) Therapeutic Intervention/Strategies/Techniques for IEP Development and Implementation:

• Develop draft instructional programs (e.g., emergency evacuation plan, positioning and transfer protocols, sensory diet, analyzing tasks to teach) to be carried out by school personnel for consideration by the IEP team; and
• Prepare data on student functioning/performance, progress reports, and proposed goals/objectives for consideration by the IEP team.
• Identify and develop appropriate, evidence-based therapeutic strategies and techniques for implementing goals in the IEP
• Prepare an intervention plan or plan of care for implementing the student's IEP goals and/or supplementary aids and services safely and effectively and to use as a tool for data collection;
• Document time spent on interventions with, and on behalf of, students (intervention completed, student response, and plan for follow-up intervention).

2) Collaboration with school personnel:

• Problem-solve barriers/challenges to the student accessing the educational environment;
• Act as a resource to share information regarding physical, sensory, skill development, and medical issues;
• Discuss issues and concerns related to student participation or performance and identify proposed strategies to address them for consideration by the IEP team;
• Collaborate on adapting functional and meaningful activities typically occurring in the student's routine;
• Create opportunities for the student to practice and/or generalize new skills;
• Act as a liaison between outside agency and school personnel;
• Promote optimal independence, autonomy and/or self-determination appropriate for an individual student;
• Support the staff's holistic approach of all factors impacting the student in the school environment (e.g., lunchroom, playground, classrooms, art, music, physical education);
• Work with staff members to develop draft IEP goals and objectives/benchmarks that integrate therapeutic interventions within the general education curriculum for consideration by the IEP team.

3) Training/coaching:

• Identify equipment needs, and provide instruction to staff in the use and care of the equipment;
• Provide instruction to educators, school support personnel, etc. in the use of therapeutic strategies that support student independence and participation;
• Provide monitoring and feedback regarding staff implementation of techniques/support across environments.

4) Data collection/progress monitoring:

• Work with the educational team to develop and implement data collection tools to monitor progress toward IEP goals;
• Collect pertinent performance data;
• Review data collected to prepare proposals for intervention decisions for consideration by the IEP team;
• Develop progress reports.
• Performs other related duties as assigned to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.
• Responds to inquiries (e.g. parents, teachers, staff, students, etc.) to provide information and/or referral as appropriate.
• Transports supplies and equipment to a variety of sites to ensure the availability of items as needed.

Content Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

Specific skill-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include applying assessment instruments; operating equipment used in occupational therapy strategies; operating standard office equipment including pertinent computer software; and preparing and maintaining accurate records.


Specific knowledge-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include age-appropriate activities; concepts of grammar and punctuation; health standards and hazards; safety practices and procedures; stages of child development; abnormal development and medical diagnoses related to special education funding categories; current OT treatment interventions; and pertinent policies, regulations and/or laws.


Specific ability-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include adapting to changing work priorities; communicating with diverse groups; maintaining confidentiality; meeting deadlines and schedules; working as part of a team; working with detailed information/data; maintaining effective working relationships; and translating therapy data into meaningful educational activities.


Performance Responsibilities:

• Serve as a member of an IEP team to screen, diagnose, and determine eligibility for occupational therapy services for the child;
• Complete all required components of the occupational therapy case study evaluation;
• Enhance student mobility and participation in educational activities by increasing strength, accuracy, and speed;
• Improve manipulative skills for self-care and paper/pencil tasks through reach, grasp, and dexterity;
• Enhance comfort, participation, and attending by maintaining functional postures;
• Increase functional use of hands and visual regard by providing stable positions;
• Ensure independence in feeding and oral motor skills for safety and nourishment;
• Facilitate safety in the school environment by decreasing the possibility of injury to student's self or others as he/she moves or performs skills/tasks;
• Improve success for fine motor school tasks by increasing coordination of eye-hand movements;
• Increase functional use of extremities through adapted equipment;
• Enhance ability to learn through sensorimotor activities that address motor planning, attending, and behavior issues;
• Facilitate student's independence through access to assistive technology;
• Perform consultative and/or resource services to parents, classroom teachers, and other professional personnel; and be responsible for all aspects of budgeting, purchasing, and program planning within the occupational therapy budget.

Education, Credentials and/or Experience

• Master's Degree or Higher
• llinois State Licensure: OTR/L

Physical Requirements:

This position requires the performance of light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently to move objects. The position includes close visual acuity, frequent talking, hearing, walking and standing, occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, some stooping, kneeling, crouching and/or crawling and significant fine finger dexterity. The job is performed in non-hazardous environments and a clean atmosphere. The position may require indoor and outdoor supervision during varying temperatures and climatic conditions.


Apply through Frontline:

Applications are currently being accepted for this position via our district website. Please reach out to our human resources department at View email address on click.appcast.io, if you have questions about the application process.

We encourage interested applicants to apply, as we continue to uplift our equity policy. Our goal is to recruit, employ, support, and retain racially and linguistically diverse and culturally competent administrative, instructional and support personnel. Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.


The mental demands, physical demands, and work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow an employee with disabilities to perform the essential functions.