At Hangzhou International School, we are proud to say we are an inclusive school, welcoming students of all abilities and talents.
Additionally, as a non-profit school we continually reinvest in our facilities and staff, which is why our extensive student support team consists of social and emotional counselors, a dedicated university counseling team, grade level support specialists across Lower and Upper schools, multiple speech therapists and more.
As part of our dedication to provide for all student needs, we are now likely the only international school in Hangzhou to have a full-time Occupational Therapist and dedicated Occupational Therapy Room.
Meet Ms Merryn
Hi, I’m Merryn Atkins, the school-based Occupational Therapist at Hangzhou International School (HIS). Before joining HIS, I established a successful occupational therapy service at United World College (UWC) in Thailand, and brought over 13 years of experience from Christchurch, New Zealand, working across a range of educational and clinical settings.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) is crucial for improving daily tasks and overall participation in various settings, including the school environment. It addresses physical, emotional, and social challenges through personalized interventions tailored to individual needs and barriers. OTs conduct comprehensive assessments that enable them to create tailored treatment plans, which may involve teaching new skills, providing assistive devices, or modifying educational environments to enhance safety and efficiency for the students.
Depending on the needs of the student, a school based OT can address:
- Fine motor skills: impacting areas like holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, using school materials, managing clothing fasteners etc.
- Gross motor skills: impacting areas like moving throughout the school, using playground equipment, walking in the hallway, etc.
- Self-care and daily living skills: for toileting, clothing fasteners, shoe tying, managing coats or jackets for leaving the school building, washing hands, etc.
- Executive functioning: including organizing materials, attention and focus, problem solving, planning and prioritizing projects, etc.
What is Ms Merryn’s new role at HIS?
At Hangzhou International School, my role is to help our students overcome any barriers they may have with learning and participation so they can thrive across all areas of school life at HIS. I support those with challenges in motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, organization, and independence.
Working closely with teachers, parents, and support staff, I provide practical, evidence-based strategies tailored to each student’s needs, while also helping build capacity and confidence through ongoing upskilling.
