MASPOT History

The Michigan Alliance of Physical and Occupational Therapists (MASPOT) was formed as means to meet the non-traditional needs of the school based therapist as well as serving as a vital link between the medical and educational communities.

In 1977 MASPOT resulted from the merging of separate interest groups from the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association and the Michigan Physical Therapy Association as an effort to conserve and combine resources, to avoid duplication of effort and to establish a more powerful base in which to influence the delivery of therapy services in Special Education.

Later, MASPOT defined its primary goals as representing the needs and interests of physical and occupational therapists in the schools as well as achieving more visibility with the State Department of Education and the Educational Associations. Recently MASPOT has joined other associations in focusing on how we provide services to our students.

It was decided that MASPOT would meet twice yearly for conferences and general membership business meetings. The business meeting are designed to allow for discussion of current school therapy issues, plan strategies for courses of action as an organization, for sharing information about concerns and needs and for formulating recommendations regarding issues. The conferences are organized in order to provide our membership with reasonably priced continuing education. The MASPOT Steering Committee also oversees the development of publications, positions papers and other media tools as deemed necessary by the membership.

Other MASPOT goals include keeping the membership informed of proposed legislative action and Department of Education activities which impact upon physical and occupational therapy services, representing the total membership needs to the legislative and educational community, promoting advancement of the professions and public awareness of the roles of physical and occupational therapists in the schools, meeting the specialized informational and educational needs of the membership and providing support to individuals with unique or local problems and/or concerns in the service delivery.

Through the years MASPOT has responded to current issues and trends by forming committees in order to facilitate information dissemination as well as obtaining information necessary to formulate strategies as a means of responding to these issues and trends. Today these committees include: CAUSE, MPTA, MOTA, MEMBERSHIP, NOMINATING COMMITTEE, PART H, THIRD PARTY REIMBURSEMENT, AND SERVICE DELIVERY.

Today, MASPOT'S focus is on providing continuing education  to its members. MASPOT continues to strive to meet the ever changing needs of the school based therapist through responsiveness to the issues brought forth by its members.