Occupational Therapist-PART TIME-Autism 18-21 Transition Day School Program – Soaring Eagle Academy – Lombard, IL

Part Time Licensed Occupational Therapist- Transition 18-21 year old Program

$250 Sign on BONUS through April 2022.
Hourly position working 2 days per week up to 14 hours with typical hours 8:00-3:00 in relationship-based, trauma informed therapeutic day school.
Work 44.4 weeks of year
Competitive compensation commensurate with experience.
Reflective processing to support you in your work.

· Receive supervision and mentoring by an Occupational Therapist (DIR® Trainer) with extensive experience in autism, sensory processing disorder and developmental thinking through the OT lens.

Make a difference in the life of a young adult with Autism!

IL Occupational Therapist License Required. Seeking professional with experience with ASD of varied ages and developmental levels and interactive style that is playful, affectual and engaging. Experience supporting and planning for young adults with special needs in areas of vocational, recreation/leisure and life skills activities in school and the community through the OT lens preferred. $250 Sign on BONUS through April 2022!

Soaring Eagle Academy, a not for profit, ISBE approved therapeutic day school in Lombard IL serving students ages 3 through 21 years old, faced with the challenges of Autism, is seeking a full time LICENSED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST starting immediately, to serve in our Transition 18-21 year old program (caseload up to 12 students) joining our growing staff and student body, teaching in person 2 full days. SEA is following strict IDPH, CDC and ISBE COVID-19 guidelines including use of PPE, social distancing and hand washing/cleaning and sanitizing measures to the best of our ability. ($250 Sign on Bonus through April 2022)*

The Academy was founded by three Speech Language Pathologists with an accumulation of over 80 years serving children and families with Autism and other related disorders, and a passion to showcase the amazing capacities of students with Autism to interact, communicate, think and learn. SEA is the only school of its kind to utilize a developmental language approach and developmental thinking implementing principles of DIR(r) Floortime, to understand and support students’ social, emotional, language, sensory motor and academic development. This is a unique opportunity to do cutting edge work with fellow therapists, teachers, support staff and 1:1 teacher assistants assigned to each student, who understand developmental language, sensory processing and emotional development and how they impact children with autism. We believe that the “behaviors” others see as impacting education for these students are a result of their lack of comprehension and challenges to process sensory and social/emotional information from their environment and communication partners. With our appropriate interpretation of their intentions, our language-based strategies and emotional and sensory supports- our students are soaring. Join our team! Our Occupational Therapists have a central role in the support of our students. For more information, please visit our website at www.soaringeagleacademy.org

QUALIFICATIONS:

Licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Experience and interest working with Autism Spectrum Disorders and a range of ages and developmental level.
Willingness to gain knowledge and participate in direct coaching/training in DIR® Floortime and developmental language methodology and interest in pursuing a DIR® professional certificate.
Strong foundation and knowledge in sensory processing disorders, regulation and modulation.
Interactive style that is naturally playful, affectual and engaging.
Experience supporting and planning for young adults with special needs in areas of vocational, recreation/leisure and life skills activities in school and the community through the OT lens.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Evaluate, plan and implement Sensory Integration based Occupational Therapy services according to DIR® methodology practices and the Developmental Language model during each student’s academic and non-academic program within the classroom environment and offsite in the community.

· Develop treatment plans for each push in therapy session and keep a therapy log to document services, student performance, and data collection.

· Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members and parents to maximize services and support to each student.

· Provide direction, instruction and coaching to staff in the classroom environment to support Occupational Therapy plan and goals.

· Lead the development of student’s Individual Regulatory Support Plan (behavior plan) in conjunction with student’s team including SLP, MH, student’s Teacher, DIR Specialist, and school nurse.

· Acknowledge and reflect on each student’s feelings and behavior in a caring and respectful manner.

· Assist and facilitate student directed play, interaction, and classroom work to sustain interactions, problem solving and learning.

· Engage in and support physical activities initiated by students including but not limited to, jumping, climbing, rolling, sitting/lying on the floor, swinging.

· Collaborate with the team and families to create thorough and individualized Transition plans for annual IEP meetings.

Ability to modulate and demonstrate affect appropriate to the situation to facilitate learning.
Ability to wear a facemask at all times in the school building, even when social distance is maintained, except while drinking or eating.
Ability to bend, kneel, sit (on a chair or the floor) and stand moving easily and quickly from kneel to stand, sit to stand and stand to walk positions.
Ability to walk up to a mile in distance.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds easily with no assistance from others.
Ability to engage in and support physical activities initiated by students including but not limited to, jumping, running, climbing, rolling, sitting/lying on the floor, swinging.
Ability to act and respond to a student’s dysregulation/behavior/combative and aggressive actions according to the strategies developed in the student’s Individualized Regulatory Support Plan, Safety Plan and SEA non-violent crisis intervention policy and procedures.
Ability to quickly move away from and avoid combative/aggressive actions or behaviors of students.
Ability to physically follow in close proximity and support students when he/she flees (runs) from an activity, an interaction or the learning environment.
Ability to physically support students on indoor/outdoor therapeutic equipment.
Acknowledge and reflect on student’s feelings and behavior in a caring and respectful manner.
Ability to physically support students on indoor/outdoor therapeutic equipment