Skip to Main Content

Additional Navigation

Beyond Strategies: Strengthening OT-Teacher Partnerships Through the Intentional Relationship Model to Enhance Student Participation

Share This Event
Virtual
Register Today

Grounded in the Intentional Relationship Model (IRM), this presentation explores how school-based occupational therapists can move past the traditional "expert" model to build authentic, intentional partnerships with teachers. Participants will explore the six therapeutic modes of the IRM (advocating, collaborating, empathizing, encouraging, instructing, and problem-solving), reflect on their own communication habits, and learn how to better align their approach with what teachers actually need. Introducing the presenter-developed Mini Teacher IRM Preference Assessment, this session offers a practical framework to help OTs shift from making assumptions to asking meaningful questions. Through practical scenarios and interactive discussion, attendees will practice adapting their relational approach, learning to ask "What does this relationship need?" before jumping straight to handing out strategies. Ultimately, this session highlights how stronger OT-Teacher connections support student regulation, inclusion, and classroom participation.

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to

  • Explain how the relational context between therapists and teachers influences student engagement, regulation, and success in the classroom.
  • Describe key concepts of the Intentional Relationship Model and its six therapeutic modes as they apply to school-based OT practice
  • Identify their own preferred or default therapeutic modes and recognize how those tendencies shape interactions with educators
  • Apply intentional and flexible communication by considering teacher preferences and relational needs during daily collaboration.

Guest Speaker:

Ellen Cullen, OTD, MS, OTR/L, BCP, is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Board-Certified Pediatric Occupational Therapist with more than 36 years of clinical experience in school-based and private practice. She specializes in pediatric OT, therapeutic relationships, emotional regulation, and occupation-centered practice. Ellen is deeply committed to supporting school-based practitioners through intentional, collaborative partnerships that create meaningful, lasting impacts for students and educators alike. 

Register Today