An inclusive preschool serves children with and without disabilities in the same classroom. It is a child’s right to attend a school in an inclusive setting. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act protects children’s rights to attend school alongside their peers without disabilities known as the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Occupational therapists focus on participation by promoting inclusion in natural environments. Occupational therapists in an inclusion school model focus on a preschool student’s occupation, which is play. This capstone will show how occupational therapists can model and demonstrate the use of techniques and strategies for teachers with students so they can be applied later, even when the therapist is not in the room. Future implications of this capstone ill include occupational therapy practitioners exploring interventions targeting preschool inclusion model. Exploring quantitative and qualitative research and how occupational therapists can treat preschool children in the classroom and co-teach with a general education teacher. Additionally, the capstone includes a background literature review, implications for occupational therapy, evidentiary findings, implementation, and a reflection. The capstone project consists of a manuscript for potential future publication in the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, and Early Intervention. The manuscript will detail how an occupational therapist can use play and how peers can model for other each other to improve motor skills, and academic skills.
