Occupational therapy services at Horizon Academy are embedded throughout the day as our school Occupational Therapist (OT), Megan Nicolas, collaborates closely with classroom teachers to support students in meaningful, functional ways. Students can build foundational skills like motor coordination, body awareness, fine and gross motor skills, sensory regulation, and functional skills within the context of their regular routines and everyday learning. At Horizon Academy, occupational therapy helps create supportive environments and provide strategies so students can be successful.

One way this collaboration comes to life is through our school gardens. For 10 years, Alex Hayes, Horizon Academy’s Director of Technology, has organized and planned our school gardens. During that time, they have become an extension of the classroom and a natural space for skill-building. Our goal is for every student to spend time in the garden during the spring, summer, and fall, where each season brings new opportunities to engage with nature and develop important skills.

In the spring, students plant seeds and explore the texture of soil. Summer brings watering and weeding and in the autumn, our students plant bulbs. These activities provide rich sensory experiences and meaningful work that keeps students engaged. Gardening naturally supports the development of foundational skills. Students strengthen fine motor skills by grasping seeds and picking vegetables. They also build gross motor skills through digging, lifting, and carrying tools. Tasks that require two hands, like using tools, improve coordination and hand strength. The sensory benefits are also important. Students experience different textures, smells from herbs and soil, bright colors, and calming outdoor sounds. Activities like digging and pushing provide proprioceptive input for the body, while bending and reaching support balance and movement.

Our school garden is more than just a place to grow vegetables, it is a place where students grow skills, independence, and a deeper connection with nature. Our Horizon Academy students have opportunities to learn through doing, explore through their senses, and succeed in ways that feel meaningful. As a celebration of their hard work, students come together for Salad Day each May and enjoy the vegetables that have come from our school garden.