![Young girl painting outside in garden with others in background](/-/media/aota-images/practice/young-girl-painting-outside-happy-children-and-youth.jpg?cx=0.42&cy=0.53&cw=850&ch=484&hash=02F09ACD7F7638EB478D247EA0B7645D)
Schools & early intervention
Primary education and early intervention services are largely controlled by state and local governments. However the federal government has some influence over these programs through federal laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was most recently amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The AOTA policy team works at both the state and federal levels to protect and promote the role of occupational therapy in both of those settings.
![Child with blocks](/-/media/corporate/images/modules/featured/children-youth-blocks.jpg?cx=0.66&cy=0.55&cw=575&ch=575&hash=C6D8574C8DF48212DCF1FD859F7C46D1)
Why early intervention matters
AOTA works at the federal and state levels to make sure policies support occupational therapy practitioners using the full scope of their knowledge and skills within school and early intervention settings, in order to support student achievement. We work to make sure children have access to occupational therapy services and that occupational therapy practitioners are a valued part of early intervention and school-based teams.
![Women facing each other. Older woman with clipboard is talking with a younger woman with a tablet.](/-/media/aota-images/publications/ot-practice/august-2024/caprpt-aug-2024.png?cx=0.5&cy=0.38&cw=726&ch=486&hash=3732A49D12469173326B8E528D9744AA)
Expanding the role of school-based OT practitioners
![Diverse group of school children with arms around each other wearing backpacks outside](/-/media/aota-images/practice/diverse-group-of-young-school-children-outside-with-backpacks-smiling.jpg?cx=0.49&cy=0.44&cw=386&ch=272&hash=D41EF8EBB8B730DCB80EBD4E66F176E9)
Department of Education update on using federal grants to strengthen the school mental heath workforce
AOTA partners with the Council of Chief State School Officers to talk inclusive classrooms
New Actions to Strengthen School-Based Mental Health Services
Related resources
![School Based resources](/-/media/corporate/images/modules/featured/school-based-resources.jpg?cx=0.65&cy=0.44&cw=650&ch=410&hash=8AE9527043F4ADBFDBD9CDB67C2F3CAA)
![Man and teenage girl wearing backpack walking down school highway](/-/media/aota-images/practice/teacher-male-ot-female-high-school-student-walking-in-hallway-school-setting.jpg?cx=0&cy=0&cw=650&ch=410&hash=8E84EF3E16CE280C94740DCA51130F8A)
![Young children wearing face masks wearing backpacks lined up outside of school building](/-/media/aota-images/practice/diverse-group-of-school-children-waiting-outside-school-wearing-masks-covid-19.jpg?cx=0.61&cy=0.7&cw=650&ch=410&hash=F9C9EB0A407C3078A5A25C5CBCA558C6)
![Woman talking with teenage boy in classroom both looking at tablet](/-/media/aota-images/practice/female-ot-talking-with-teenage-male-school-setting.jpg?cx=0.4&cy=0.45&cw=650&ch=410&hash=8462683806D25DB897C4EEB9BA1B84A8)
![Two women talking holding tablets while walking down school hallway](/-/media/aota-images/community/diverse-women-ots-talking-inside-school-hallway-community.jpg?cx=0.42&cy=0.5&cw=650&ch=410&hash=D4E97973CE8503D29435F52C2ADE934F)
![Close up of hands stacked on top of each other](/-/media/aota-images/community/diverse-stacked-hands-teamwork-community-members.jpg?cx=0&cy=0&cw=650&ch=410&hash=43F6F47B12EB5EA7A39C7C8A3EC0A39C)