Welcome back for the 2024-25 school year, and to our Fall 2024 School-Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS) newsletter! This newsletter is for teachers, resource teachers, early childhood educators, educational assistants, administrators and other school staff who are interested in learning more about how to create inclusive, supportive classrooms for students with diverse needs and abilities.

Exclusively for our school partners, this must-read newsletter will offer updates about Grandview Kids' programs and services that are the most relevant to you. We will also share helpful tips from our clinicians that can be used in your schools and classrooms.

• Learn more about the SBRS Occupational Therapy (OT) Tiered Intervention Model, which is now available across all schools in the Durham Region.
• Review the changes to SBR speech therapy services and how they impact you.
• Tier One OT resources for educators are now available on the Grandview Kids website. Learn more about the resources you will find and how to access them.
• Read the helpful tips developed by Grandview Kids clinicians about proper seating setups and practicing proper vocal hygiene in the classroom.

Submitting SBRS referrals to Grandview Kids

All SBRS referrals to Grandview Kids must be submitted online (see details below explaining how to submit a referral online). However, a new requirement was introduced this Fall, which requires you to speak with your school’s Occupational Therapist (OT) before submitting a referral to us. Your school’s OT will determine if a referral is required or if there are remaining Tier One service offerings that may be implemented.

To submit an SBRS referral to Grandview Kids, please click the button below. On the webpage linked below, you will find resources guiding you on how to create an account on Ocean (enabling you to submit a referral) and submit an Ocean eReferral.

If you have technical questions about using Ocean, email contact@ereferralontarioeast.ca.

If you have questions about SBRS eligibility or the referral process, email service.navigation@grandviewkids.ca. 

Ensure we have your updated contact information

To ensure that we have updated information for the Special Education Resource Teachers (SERTs) or Program Support Teachers (PSTs) at your school, please email service.navigation@grandviewkids.ca with the following information:

• Subject line: SERT/PST contact for [insert school name]
• Name: If there are multiple staff, please include the Grade(s) that each SERT/PST supports.
• Email address: Please include an email address for each SERT/PST listed.
• If you would like an SBR Service Report (a list of the students at your school on the waitlist and in service delivery), please indicate this in your email.

Announcements

The SBRS Occupational Therapy Tiered Intervention Model is now live across all schools in the Durham Region

Starting in Fall 2024, we will provide Tiered Occupational Therapy services in all schools across the Durham Region, including all the following school boards:

• Durham District School Board
• Durham Catholic District School Board
• Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board
• Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde
• Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

Tiered Occupational Therapy provides the right help, at the right time, in the right way to any student. Last year, we started with 87 “early adopter” schools. The feedback received from teachers and schools was incredibly positive and we are now implementing Tiered Services to the remaining 179 elementary schools in the Durham Region.

Tier One is targeted at Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes but could be used in small, specialized classes or other grades for a specific purpose. Teachers and Resource Teachers will identify when they want Tier One support and in what capacity. If a student requires more support than Tier One strategies can provide, the Resource Teacher and OT will speak to determine if a referral is required or if there are other Tier One opportunities that may be applied. The school’s SERT/PST and the OT will meet to determine the intervention priority for all current students in service and those on the waitlist.

As mentioned above, starting Fall 2024, all SBRS referrals to the waitlist require pre-approval by the school’s OT. However, some referrals are deemed “urgent” and do not require OT approval.

Referrals for the following reasons are deemed “urgent” and do not require OT approval:

• Mobility: unable to move within the school environment to access the bathroom or enter/exit school.
• Access to the school environment: unable to use stairs to their classroom; requires lifts/transfers; unable to change positions independently.
• Toileting: unable to access the bathroom or changing surface (not incontinence training).

For more information on how the Tiered Model of OT is used, please watch our brief education session. We are happy to provide a live virtual session to any school or school board upon request.

SBR speech therapy services are changing

New provincial guidelines released in 2023 directed all children’s treatment centres to focus on early intervention, waitlist reduction and a tiered service delivery model. The guidelines also adjusted the timeline for services through the Preschool Speech and Language Program, and children are now discharged from that program at school entry.

Based on these new guidelines and from previous work we had already done, we began redeveloping our service delivery model for SBRS-Speech services. We hosted three family focus groups that gave us insight and perspective when developing our new service pathways.

We are proud to announce that we are launching three new and distinct service pathways.

The first pathway to launch will be the Kindergarten Pathway, which will launch in September 2024. This pathway will begin in a child’s Junior Kindergarten year and will include coaching and group intervention with Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Communicative Disorders Assistants (CDAs) at Grandview Kids locations. Families will be actively involved in every step of this pathway, and children will receive the early intervention that is so crucial to their speech development. This year, we will start this pathway by focusing on referrals for students in Junior Kindergarten.

Next, we will launch our Elementary Pathway, a school-based program for students, primarily in grades 1-6. This service will look like our current model of service delivery; however, we will be introducing caregiver coaching sessions and looking at how to maximize our time in schools best. While we will continue to offer 1:1 therapy for students, our sessions will be time-sensitive, with intense repetitions, and will be based on a child’s ability to access the school curriculum.

Finally, we will launch our Collaboration Pathway in January 2025, designed for older students or students who have completed their journey in the Kindergarten and Elementary Pathway but are still eligible for additional SBRS speech services. Families can request a check-in at designated times throughout the year and will be seen by an SLP to update their speech goals, adjust their home practice routines or be invited to specific groups or camps to work on their goals.

Students will move from one pathway to another, depending on their progress. We are continuing to refine these pathways over the coming months, and we will share more details in our next newsletter, so stay tuned!

Tier One OT resources for educators are now available on the Grandview Kids website

All Tier One OT resources for educators are now available on the “Resources for Educators” page on the Grandview Kids website. Please review these resources for your own learning and feel free to share them with families. The graphic below shows where to find the page on our website, grandviewkids.ca.

Physical binders of these same resources will be provided to your school at the beginning of the school year. The Tier One OT resources available on the “Resources for Educators” page are considered “good for all” and may be used by school staff at their convenience. Your school’s OT may also recommend specific resources be shared with families based on the needs of the classroom.

The Grandview Kids website continues to be a great hub for us to share print and video resources. Please refer to the “Resources for educators” web page regularly as we grow the available resources for all disciplines, including Physiotherapy and Speech-Language Pathology.

The role of the OT, Physiotherapist (PT) or Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in recommending equipment purchases

Recommendation letters can be written by OTs, PTs and SLPs in support of procuring equipment when their assessments have determined that the equipment is essential for the student to access the curriculum or the school’s environment. The OT, PT or SLP will review the recommendation with the school and the student's parent or caregiver before writing the letter to ensure it is the best fit for the student.

Please remember: the recommendation letter does not guarantee the school will ultimately proceed with procuring this equipment, as that decision is made at their discretion. 

Sometimes, a therapist will trial a piece of equipment with a child before recommending it. The recommended equipment may also be acquired through a centralized equipment pool or purchased 'new' by the school. For pieces of equipment that will be purchased, it is up to the school to determine if this will be ordered through the school (or classroom budget) or requested through Special Equipment Amount (SEA) funding. All maintenance and repairs are the school's responsibility. 

Please contact your school's OT, PT or SLP if you have any questions.

Helpful tips from Grandview Kids clinicians

The importance of proper seating in the classroom

Written by Grandview Kids Occupational Therapist Tara

Appropriate seating can make all the difference for an individual’s success in fine motor skills and learning to print. Our posture can help or hinder how we play, write and feed ourselves. If we sit at a table and our feet don’t touch the ground, we must use a significant amount of core muscle strength to hold ourselves up.

Think about our little three to six-year-olds in kindergarten who are just learning to print… now imagine yourself at work and what your desk space is like as an adult.

How can we help kids succeed in the classroom with fine motor skills?



• Ensure the child’s feet touch the ground. This means you might require a few different desk sizes/chair sizes to accommodate the height difference between junior and senior kindergarten kids. The ideal position is 90-90-90 with our hips, knees and ankles.
• Review the desk height. Desk height should be around elbow height.
• Providing height-adjustable equipment. If the school is purchasing new equipment, it’s important to consider proper heights for students and purchase equipment that is adjustable.
• Provide an option to sit on chairs with armrests. Having a few chairs with armrests can be helpful for kids who require more structure and support to help them focus.
• Note: Alternative seating options (e.g., rocking chairs, bean bag chairs, standing desks or float chairs) can be great for regulation and focus. However, please remember, in these situations where a child might be writing in different positions, you may not get their best fine motor work, but you might get the best focus and regulation. Think about your end goal when providing alternative seating choices.

Five tips to support vocal hygiene in the classroom

Written by Grandview Kids Speech-Language Pathologist Rikki

Supporting proper vocal hygiene techniques in the classroom is important in ensuring students, educators and all other school staff members are mindful of how to protect their voices when interacting daily. Below, read Grandview Kids SLP Rikki’s top five tips for supporting vocal hygiene in the classroom.

1. Hydration is key! Allow students to keep water bottles on their desks. Encourage regular sips of water throughout the school day to keep their voices healthy and hydrated.
2. Incorporate rest periods. Build in quiet breaks throughout the day where students, educators and other school staff in the classroom can rest their voices. These quiet breaks help prevent vocal fatigue.
3. Speak softly, not in whispers. Encourage students to speak softly instead of whispering. Whispering can put unnecessary strain on our vocal folds.
4. Teach proper voice use. Help students understand the importance of using their “inside voice.” Teaching them to use a proper volume will protect their vocal health.
5. Speak from an appropriate distance. Remind students to approach the person they want to talk to rather than shouting across the room. Encourage students to be close enough to touch the person they are speaking with, which promotes clear and gentle communication while putting less strain on their voice.

Ability Acceptance Program

Make your school more inclusive for all students: Host a presentation on Ability Acceptance

At Grandview Kids, we aim to actively contribute to a community that is inclusive and accepting of all abilities. Our Ability Acceptance Program is available to schools, with the goal to enhance the understanding and acceptance of all abilities and promote inclusive practices in the classroom and beyond. We teach about easy ways to be an inclusive ally, the history and prevalence of disabilities in Canada, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) considerations and more. The presentation is appropriate for staff or students.

Through this program, we offer:

• Presenters with lived experience (former Grandview clients or caregivers)
• Presentations tailored to all audiences, including adults, youth and children (starting in Grade 6)
• Virtual and in-person options

To request a presentation, fill out this form. For more information, visit our website under Resources > Ability Acceptance Program.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Gather

Register for our monthly newsletter for Grandview Kids clients, caregivers, their families and our community partners: Gather by Grandview! Distributed on the first of every month, Gather shares all things Grandview: new programs and projects, upcoming events, important announcements and more.

Want to view past editions of Gather by Grandview?

View the archived list on our website!

The SBRS newsletter will be distributed twice a year: once in the Fall (at the start of the school year) and once in the Spring (before the school year draws to a close). If you have any questions about the newsletter or Grandview Kids SBRS, please email Linda Laing, Grandview Kids Director of Clinical Services, School Years, at Linda.Laing@grandviewkids.ca.