NEUROPLASTICITY AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE: AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The ability of the brain to reorganize and restructure via the formation of new neural connections is known as neuroplasticity and has become one of the foundational concepts between neuroscience and educational practice and occupational therapy. This chapter examines the point of congruency between neuroplasticity theory and educational interventions as an occupational therapy viewpoint. Based on existing literature published between 2015 and 2025, we discuss the potential of learning about brain plasticity processes to improve the results of education, conditions of therapeutic intervention, and stimulate the functional independence of people throughout their lives. The chapter tells about evidence-based occupational therapy methods, which make use of the principles of neuroplasticity, such as sensory integration therapy, constraint-induced movement therapy, and task-oriented interventions. Classroom practice implications, pediatric intervention, and neurorehabilitation implications are provided, and the special role of occupational therapists to translate neuroplasticity science to useful functional outcomes is presented. This is an elaborate review that educators, therapists, and healthcare professionals can use to model neuroplasticity-based practices within various educational and clinical contexts.