2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS DETAILED
EXPLANATIONS
◉ Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Answer: Civil rights law that
protects individuals who meet the criteria for disabled
Physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more
major life activities
Broader definition than IDEA, students who are not eligible under
IDEA may receive accommodations under a 504 plan
◉ Extended School Year (ESY) Answer: -Beyond the normal school
year (ie. summer school)
-Must be provided if services are necessary to ensure the provision
of FAPE
-Services that meet state standards of NYSED
◉ Medical Model Answer: Diagnosis-driven, clinic setting, skills for
daily life
◉ Educational model Answer: Access/participation-driven, school
environment, skills for academic access
,◉ Indirect Service Delivery Answer: On behalf of the child, Program
supports, School-wide committees, Response to intervention
(RtI)/Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Positive Behavioral
Intervention Supports (PBIS)
◉ Direct Service Delivery Answer: Individual, Small group, Large
group (classroom), Variety of settings
◉ "Push in Services" Answer: Service Quality, Efficiency, Service
cohesiveness, Increased effectiveness, Better meet child's needs,
Generalization of skill, Most natural environment, Least restrictive
◉ "Pull out" service Answer: Skill deficit, Sensory regulation,
Handwriting instruction
Selfcare, Inability to work in group
◉ OT role MTSS/RtI Answer: -Collaborate with teachers to design
classroom supports
-Use data driven decision making (DDDM) to determine level and
type of intervention
-Monitor student progress and adjust support as needed
-Advocate for least restrictive, most effective interventions
-Advocate for OT's expanding role
,◉ Guiding Legislation for RtI and MTSS Answer: -IDEA 2004
-Provide early intervening services (EIS) for students at risk
-Use of evidence based instruction and intervention prior to
classification of Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
-Up to 15% of amount received for Special Education in LEA toward
EIS
◉ Proximal Outcomes Answer: Short-term, measurable skills
directly targeted by OT intervention (e.g., letter formation accuracy,
grip strength, self-monitoring strategy use).
◉ Distal Outcomes Answer: Broader functional or participation-level
outcomes that reflect improved performance in meaningful school
tasks (e.g., finishing writing assignments on time, demonstrating
knowledge through legible work, improved classroom
participation).
◉ IEP Answer: A key document developed by the team which lays
out how the child receives a free appropriate public education in the
least restrictive environment-
-Lays out the child's academic achievement and functional
performance
-Describes how the child will be included in the general curriculum
-Establishes annual goals and describes how those goals will be
measured
, -States what special education and related services are needed by
the child
◉ Literacy Stages Answer: Pre-literacy= birth through toddler years
Emergent literacy= birth to around five years old
Early literacy= preschool to first grade
Conventional literacy= children become proficient readers
◉ Pre Literacy Answer: The acquisition of precursors to language.
sensory exploration
-Awareness of sounds, voices, and rhythms in speech
-Engages in babbling, cooing, and early vocal play
-Shows interest in books
-Recognizes familiar symbols
◉ Emergent Literacy Answer: Understanding that print has
meaning, recognizing some letters, and beginning to scribble
-Pretend reading
-Scribbling with meaning: random marks on paper that a child
identifies as "writing"
-Letter recognition
-Rhyming and sound play
-Following text with finger