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Tips for Middle and High School Students with Brittini from @playtheotway
Brittini Barnes is a pediatric occupational therapist who has been working in the pediatric setting for 6 years. She currently works with middle school and high school students. She also serves on a local Autism Awareness Non-Profit in her small Florida town. She is a wife and a mother to a 4 year old daughter. She loves coming up with low prep/no prep activities that are simple, easy, and impactful to implement into treatment. Over the course of the recent pandemic, she tailored her therapy style to use items around the house so that parents and caregivers could re-create activities from teletherapy.
Links
Brittini’s Instagram @playtheotway
Brittini’s Facebook Play the OT Way
Brittini’s Teachers Pay Teachers
Brittini’s Website playtheotway.com
Email Brittini playtheotway@gmail.com
All Things Sensory Podcast on YouTube
All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram
Tips for Middle And High School Students With Brittini From @playtheotway
Navigating middle and high school can be challenging, especially for students with sensory needs, executive functioning difficulties, or fine and gross motor skill challenges. That’s why we were so excited to sit down with Brittini Barnes, a school-based occupational therapist and the creator behind @playtheotway, to discuss practical and fun strategies to support older students in their academic and personal lives.
Why Middle And High School Students Need OT Support
Middle and high school students are at a unique developmental stage. They are expected to manage increasing academic demands, navigate social relationships, and develop independence—all while dealing with ongoing sensory, motor, and executive functioning challenges.
However, school-based OT services often decrease at this level, making it essential to incorporate effective strategies into the classroom and at home. Brittini, who works primarily with middle and high school students, shares some of her top OT-inspired tips to help students succeed.
1. Fine Motor Skill Development: Keep It Functional And Fun
Fine motor skills are essential for writing, typing, and manipulating objects in daily life. Many students at this age still struggle with hand strength, dexterity, and endurance, which can impact their academic performance.
Brittini’s Favorite Activities For Fine Motor Skills:
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Board Games with a Twist: Brittini loves using classic board games like Kerplunk and Connect Four to target fine motor precision, in-hand manipulation, and hand-eye coordination.
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Typing and Handwriting Warm-Ups: Before tackling written assignments, students benefit from quick warm-up exercises like finger yoga, using therapy putty, or practicing visual-motor integration with quick doodles or mazes.
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Functional Writing Tasks: Instead of endless worksheets, incorporate real-world writing tasks like journaling, creating to-do lists, or composing emails to teachers.
2. Executive Functioning: Helping Students Stay Organized
Executive functioning skills—like planning, organization, and time management—are crucial in middle and high school. Many students struggle with keeping track of assignments, managing their workload, and prioritizing tasks.
Brittini’s Executive Functioning Tips:
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Use Google Forms for Teacher Communication: To help teachers track student progress, Brittini recommends using Google Forms as a quick and simple way to gather feedback.
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Teach Students How to Use Planners Effectively: Digital or paper planners help students track deadlines and appointments. Brittini also shows students her own planner to model organizational habits.
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Create a Visual Task Breakdown: Using checklists, color-coded schedules, or step-by-step guides can help students see a clear path to completing tasks without feeling overwhelmed.
3. Gross Motor Movement: Building Strength And Coordination
Even though gross motor skills are often thought of in early childhood development, they remain important for posture, endurance, and overall physical well-being in adolescence.
How Brittini Incorporates Gross Motor Skills In School OT:
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Balance Work with Stability Discs: Since many middle and high school OTs don’t have designated therapy rooms, simple tools like stability discs can be used to work on balance and core strength in the classroom.
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Sensory Movement Breaks: Incorporating quick standing stretches, wall push-ups, or seated exercises helps students refocus and regulate their energy levels.
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Adapting Activities for High School Students: Brittini emphasizes the importance of making exercises age-appropriate, whether it’s modifying an obstacle course or integrating functional movement into vocational training.
4. Social-Emotional Learning: Creating A Supportive Environment
Middle and high school students often experience increased anxiety, social pressure, and emotional regulation challenges. Addressing these needs through OT strategies can enhance both academic and personal success.
Social-Emotional Learning Strategies From Brittini:
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Collaborate with School Counselors and Teachers: Brittini partners with school professionals to integrate social-emotional lessons into students’ schedules.
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Use the Zones of Regulation Program: This tool helps students identify their emotions and develop coping strategies in real-time.
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Normalize Sensory Needs: Creating a sensory-friendly environment, whether that’s a quiet corner in the classroom or access to fidget tools, can make a significant difference for students who struggle with self-regulation.
5. Making OT Engaging For Older Students
One of Brittini’s biggest goals is to make OT enjoyable and meaningful for middle and high school students. She uses humor, rapport-building, and real-life applications to make therapy feel less like “work” and more like an opportunity for growth.
How Brittini Builds Engagement:
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Let Students Have a Say: Giving students some control over their sessions helps increase motivation.
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Use Pop Culture and Interests: Incorporating music, movies, or social media trends can make activities feel more relevant.
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Make Learning Hands-On: Interactive activities, from digital escape rooms to real-world problem-solving tasks, can increase participation and engagement.
Final Thoughts
Brittini’s approach highlights the importance of engagement, functionality, and creativity when working with older students. By implementing strategies that focus on executive functioning, fine and gross motor skills, and social-emotional learning, middle and high school students can develop the confidence and independence they need to succeed.
BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science and art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views and opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties and what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.
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