Bridging Policy and Practice: How State Education Agencies Support Related Service Providers

 

Learner Outcomes:

1. Identify the roles of key Arizona Department of Education Exceptional Student Services personnel and describe how their offices support related service providers, including occupational therapy practitioners, across the state.
2. Describe current ADE policy and guidance initiatives affecting the delivery of school-based occupational therapy services under IDEA.
3. Apply strategies for accessing ADE technical assistance and professional development resources to align occupational therapy practice with IDEA requirements and evolving state education policy.

Abstract:

 This session examines the intersection of state education policy and school-based occupational therapy practice, including how the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is responding to current changes in the educational landscape. Understanding how state education agencies support related service providers strengthens occupational therapists' ability to align service delivery with requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This presentation will feature a panel of guest speakers from ADE's Exceptional Student Services division, Alissa Trollinger, Deputy Associate Superintendent of Exceptional Student Services; Emily Gaylord, Lead Specialist for Related Services; and Cyndi Selim, member of the Special Education Advisory Panel, who will offer an in-depth look at how ADE supports related service providers, including occupational therapy practitioners, through policy guidance, technical assistance, and professional development opportunities and provide an opportunity for questions from the audience.

 

 

Biography of Speaker(s):

Alissa Trollinger serves as the Deputy Associate Superintendent of Exceptional Student Services at the Arizona Department of Education (ADE/ESS). She is also the Past-President of the National Association ofState Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) Board. In 2025, Alissa was honored as a winner of the Arizona Capitol Times Women Achievers Award in Education. For the past 21 years, Alissa has held various leadership roles in special education at ADE, including a ten-year tenure as state director of special education. She began her state service as a programmatic monitoring specialist supporting secure care schools, and later advanced to oversee statewide initiatives in special education data management, assistive technology, secondary transition, secure care, and operational systems.

Emily Gaylord, PT, DPT is the Lead Specialist for Related Services with the Arizona Department of Education. She brings extensive experience in pediatric physical therapy, including early intervention and school-based practice. Emily completed the University of Arizona’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship and is a Board-Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

Cyndi Selim, DSC, OTR/L, BCP is an assistant professor in Midwestern University- Glendale's occupational therapy program. She serves as a member of Special Education Advisory Panel, representing parents of children with disabilities and higher education preparing future related service providers, as well as a parent leader for Encircle Families. She is board certified in pediatrics, with extensive experience in early intervention, school-based practice and pediatric home health services. 

 

References to Support Evidence-Based Practice:

Arizona Department of Education. (2018). OT/PT technical assistance support (TAS) document. Arizona Department of Education Special Education Division.

Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities, 34 C.F.R. § 300 (2006)
.