Involving the family in pediatric occupational therapy, often termed family-centered care (FCC), is a crucial component and best practice for effectively treating children. In the school-based setting, involving the family comes with challenges due to the context, county and school culture, individualized family needs, and time constraints. The findings from this capstone help substantiate and expand the importance of FCC principles within school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) and establish a need for revitalizing the role of the school therapist. This capstone highlights the need for improved guidelines for the incorporation and translation of FCC principles into the practice of SBOT for improved alignment with IDEA and occupational therapy’s framework. Recommendations for achieving FCC in SBOT include education, for schools, practitioners, and parents; understanding families’ unique needs to support for the parent-therapist relationship; and the need for a guiding model. Using a model resembling partnering for change (P4C) would provide structure and guidance for school-based occupational therapists for improving and implementing the delivery of FCC within schools in the United States.
