Building post-primary school teachers' capacity to support student organisational skill difficulties: A collaborative occupational therapy and education intervention.

Historically, school-based occupational therapists have used more pullout than integrated therapy. Recent trends for therapy provision in regular classrooms may be a catalyst for changing practice patterns. This study examined current school-based Occupational Therapy delivery methods and perceived barriers to integrated services. Mixed methods. School-based occupational therapists (n = 61) and occupational therapy assistants (n = 2) in Colorado and Utah. Therapists completed an online survey. A subset of therapists (21 occupational therapists, 1 occupational therapy assistant) were interviewed. Descriptive statistics described survey data, with correlations calculated between potential moderator variables and the amount of integrated services. Interviews were coded for themes. Therapists provided 40% of services in an occupational therapy area (pullout services). Therapists favored integrated services for some children but reported the following system barriers to its use: lack of education and training for integrated services, meeting individual student needs, perceived high caseloads and workloads, the variability in the school environments and the relationships and attitudes within the schools. Therapists reported more use of integrated services since previous studies but continue experiencing barriers to its use as a primary service model.

Telehealth is an accepted service-delivery model in a variety of health professions, including occupational therapy. Telehealth holds potential for school-based occupational therapy evaluation, intervention, consultation, monitoring, and supervision. As the use of telehealth becomes prevalent, it will be important to describe the benefits and barriers to potential types of occupational therapy evaluation, intervention, consultation, monitoring, and supervision delivered via a telehealth service-delivery model. Querying stakeholder perceptions of telehealth may help guide additional precipitating factors that have not yet been explored. This study gathers information regarding perceptions, perceived barriers, and benefits of the use of telehealth in school-based occupational therapy practice. School-based occupational therapy practitioners (OTP), district administrators, and related technology staff were invited to complete a survey intended to explore attitudes about the use of telehealth. 28.57% of respondents stated that their districts were likely to adopt the use of telehealth. Participants noted perceived barriers and benefits to the use of telehealth. This study provides preliminary feedback regarding school-based OTP and administrator perceptions of telehealth as a component of school-based OT practice.

School-Based Intervention for Adolescents With ADHD: Predictors of Effects on Academic, Behavioral, and Social Functioning

Is Occupational Therapy Adequately Meeting the Needs of People With Chronic Pain?

Internationally, it is suggested that school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) has an important role in supporting inclusion in educational settings. In SBOT, multitiered service delivery models are identified as a way forward to maximize school inclusion. Therefore, identifying evidence for the implementation of tiered interventions in SBOT is vital. To identify and map evidence in the occupational therapy literature relating to SBOT interventions delivered in elementary schools for all children, for those at risk, and for those with identified diagnoses. Peer-reviewed literature published in 14 occupational therapy journals between 1990 and 2020, indexed in the EBSCOhost database. Included studies were those within the scope of SBOT that reported on school occupations and focused on elementary school-age children (excluding kindergarteners or preschoolers). Forty studies met the criteria. Individual-tier intervention studies (n = 22) primarily reported direct interventions with children at risk or with identified diagnoses (Tier 2 or Tier 3), focusing mostly on remedial approaches. None adopted a whole-school approach. Despite handwriting and self-regulation being dominant areas of concern, these studies were not explicitly related to inclusion outcomes. Evidence for implementing multitiered models primarily used indirect, collaborative consultation, embedded in the school context (n = 18). These studies identified positive school staff and child outcomes when collaboration was timely, consistent, and authentic. More rigorous individual-tier intervention studies are required to inform the design and implementation of multitiered interventions in SBOT and to support participation and inclusion in schools. What This Article Adds: This scoping review provides evidence to support occupational therapists' professional reasoning in developing evidence-based, contextual, educationally relevant multitiered models of intervention in SBOT.

ABSTRACTAim: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the role of sensory-based intervention in school-based occupational therapy. The research questions are: 1. How do school-based occupational therapists (OTs) describe the role of sensory-based intervention (SBI) in an educational setting? 2. Which current practice trends influence sensory-based occupational therapy practice?Methods: Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize current school-based practice trends. Qualitative analysis resulted in the identification of categories related to school-based practice. Participants (N = 94) reported the positive impact of sensory-based interventions in the schools, the challenge of the school context, the value of both teacher and team collaboration, the limitations and challenges to parent collaboration, and the sensory resources within the school context.Results: Results indicate that school-based practitioners should focus on educational and social participation of the students.Conclusion: Outcomes indicate the primary means of improving student participation is via team education and advocacy.

Introduction: Clinical practice education is an important curriculum in developing physiotherapy students to professionals. This curriculum is largely dependent on clinical educators. Although traits of effective clinical educators had been studied in Western population, it was unclear if the Asian population would yield similar traits. Hence, we studied perspectives of students and academic educators to identify top five core traits of an effective clinical educator. The findings will then help guide policy development for clinical educator training and development. Methods: A survey was circulated to physiotherapy students and academic educators through convenience sampling. We studied 16 traits – enthusiasm, availability, clarity, clinical competence / knowledge, feedback skills, organisational skills, professionalism, well prepared, scholarly activity, non-judgemental, respect students’ autonomy / independence, sincerity, listening skills, evidence-based practice, role model, and awareness of students’ learning needs. Results: The top five traits identified by students and academic educators were similar in four traits – clinical competency / knowledge, clarity, feedback skills, and enthusiasm, and differed in the choice of “non-judgemental” by students and “awareness of students’ learning needs” by academic educators. Interestingly, when the top six traits were considered instead of five, students and academic educators identified the same traits but in different ranked orders. Conclusion: The study found six common core traits of an effective clinical educator from the perspectives of students and academic educators. Continuing education development for clinical educators should focus on these six traits prior to other 10 sub-traits. Keywords: Training, Development, Education, Allied Health, Entrustable Professional Activities, Mentoring

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit difficulties with organizational skills such as task planning, managing materials, and organizing activities that have downstream consequences on academic functioning. At the same time, deficits in working memory have been linked with both the organizational skills difficulties and academic underachievement and underperformance observed in children with ADHD and have been hypothesized to account for the link between organizational and academic functioning. However, the extent to which working memory and organizational skills independently versus jointly contribute to ADHD-related academic difficulties remains unclear. The present study is the first to examine the unique and shared roles of working memory and organizational skills for explaining ADHD-related underachievement and underperformance in a clinically evaluated sample of 309 children with and without ADHD (Mage = 10.34, SD = 1.42; 123 girls; 69.6% White Not Hispanic or Latino). Bias-corrected, bootstrapped latent path analyses revealed that working memory and organizational skills together accounted for 100% of the academic achievement (d = -1.09) and 80.6% of the academic performance (d = -0.58) difficulties exhibited by children with ADHD. Working memory (d = -0.95 to -0.26), organizational skills (d = -0.30 to -0.11), and shared variance across working memory and organizational skills (d = -0.13 to -0.06) each independently predicted ADHD-related difficulties in both academic achievement and performance outcomes. These findings are consistent with models suggesting that working memory has downstream consequences for functional impairments in ADHD, as well as evidence that organizational skills and working memory are each important predictors of ADHD-related academic functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Research is limited regarding parent-caregiver perspectives of occupational therapy (OT) intervention for children with challenges in sensory processing and integration and whether changes immediately following OT intervention are sustained over time. To evaluate whether changes in identified goals are maintained following OT intervention and to determine what aspects of OT intervention parents-caregivers perceive to be most valuable. A mixed-methods research design. A large midwestern pediatric hospital, with follow-up telephone interviews with parents-caregivers. Sixteen children with sensory challenges and their parents-caregivers. Children participated in 1-hr OT intervention sessions, 3 days per wk, for 6 to 7 wk. Parents-caregivers of children who completed OT intervention were interviewed via the telephone 6 to 12 mo after the intervention. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) were used to determine whether changes were made and sustained over time. Qualitative data on caregiver perceptions of OT intervention were collected via open-ended questions during phone interviews. COPM and GAS scores before intervention were statistically significant compared with scores immediately following intervention and at 6- to 12-mo follow-up. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data. Children with sensory challenges made significant changes related to occupational performance following OT intervention, and goal achievement was sustained over time. Parents-caregivers valued many aspects of the OT program, including the increased frequency of therapy services, the occupational therapist's advanced knowledge and skills, and the education and information provided during the program. Plain-Language Summary: This study supports the results of previous studies on OT intervention for children with challenges in sensory processing and integration. The study also adds to the body of knowledge that shows that changes and progress toward goals that result from skilled OT intervention can be sustained over time. The study showed that children participating in OT intervention made statistically significant changes while receiving OT services and maintained progress after intervention ended; however, the children did not continue to make significant progress toward goals once skilled OT services ended. Parents and caregivers of children with sensory challenges reported that they found OT intervention to be beneficial. Other important factors influencing the effectiveness of OT intervention that were identified by parents-caregivers included the education provided by the occupational therapist, the increased frequency of therapy services, and the increased knowledge and skills of the occupational therapists who provided the intervention.

Occupational therapy lacks workforce diversity. Academic programs (APs) are uniquely positioned to create learning experiences that align with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts within occupational therapy. To examine the acceptability of a student-led outreach program from the perspectives of occupational therapy students. Qualitative, cross-sectional study that used occupational therapy students' reflections as part of routine educational assessments. Thematic analysis was used to identify and define themes within reflections. Reflexivity and prolonged engagement in the field enhanced trustworthiness. Urban, Midwestern OTD program. Sixty-eight occupational therapy students enrolled in their second semester. Occupational therapy student-led outreach presentations in middle and high schools in which most students had Black, Indigenous, or People of Color backgrounds. Presentations lasted 45 to 60 min. After their presentations, occupational therapy students completed an open-ended reflection on their outreach experience of at least 250 words. Participants were primarily women (n = 63; 92.65%) and White (n = 50; 73.53%). Three themes emerged in the analysis of students' reflections: knowledge translation, opportunity versus assignment, and practical insights. Occupational therapy APs are positioned to craft learning opportunities that can meet accreditation requirements, benefit students' professional development, and contribute to DEI efforts. To make these efforts sustainable, occupational therapy APs must cultivate meaningful relationships with local and diverse community partners while also evaluating opportunities to integrate DEI into their own curricula. Additional research is needed to examine the long-term impact of outreach efforts between occupational therapy students and recipients. Plain-Language Summary: Occupational therapy academic programs are uniquely situated to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the profession. Focusing on racial and ethnic diversity, in this study we sought to capture the perspectives of first-year occupational therapy students who participated in a student-led outreach initiative embedded within their curriculum. We found that occupational therapy students benefited from participating in this educational experience because they were challenged to share their knowledge of occupational therapy with middle and high school students from underrepresented communities. Viewing this experience as an opportunity instead of an assignment, occupational therapy students felt that they contributed to DEI efforts while growing as future practitioners. Occupational therapy academic programs can create synergies between student learning objectives and DEI efforts to make transformative change. Positionality Statement: Diversity encompasses several identities such as race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and many more. We acknowledge all these aspects of diversity. For the purposes of this article, we focus on the diversity related to race and ethnicity.

Occupational therapy is the profession of supporting children with special needs to optimise participation in the school curriculum. Occupational therapy service in school is described as an integrated service between stakeholders to support inclusive education, special education, and mainstream programmes. This research explored three main objectives, (1) the status of occupational therapy service delivery for special education in Malaysia, (2) the specification of the occupational therapy capacity within special education, and (3) the challenges in the implementation of the practice in the Malaysian context. The research employed quantitative study and individual semi-structured interviews with occupational therapy professionals and special education teachers. A descriptive analysis was utilised for the quantitative research, and a thematic analysis was applied for open-ended interview questions. The finding showed a scarcity of occupational therapy service provision in the special education programs in Malaysia. The function of school-based occupational therapy practitioners was mainly providing screening, individual assessment and intervention, training to teachers and parents, and consultation on special education school placement. The themes that appeared in challenges encountered in the practice implementation were the inadequacy of school-based occupational therapists in the practice setting, funding deficiency in terms of facilities, political governance impact, and the collaborative practice between teachers and therapists. In conclusion, this study provides insights and discernment on implementing school-based occupational therapy practice to support special education service delivery in Malaysia. This study is significant to highlight the necessity to strengthen special education provision through support service practice.

Purpose A training program was provided to school-based occupational therapy practitioners (SBOTPs) in Massachusetts to support practices aligned with educational policies and regulations. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of this training program on school-based practice patterns. Methods This study used a researcher-designed online exploratory survey to determine occupational therapy practice patterns in Massachusetts public schools following the training program. The survey was emailed to the 309 SBOTPs who participated in a Massachusetts Department of Education sponsored training between 2007 and 2019. The survey questions analyzed the frequency of reported participation-based intervention methods, in-context and out-of-context services, and interdisciplinary collaboration used by these practitioners. A Chi Square Goodness of Fit Test was performed to determine if there were categorical differences in the frequency of responses to each research question. Results After analyzing our 29 responses we determined that the training program was effective and had an impact on how SBOTPs practice within their schools. After the training, SBOTPs in Massachusetts reported engaging more frequently in participation-based practice in natural school contexts, and collaborating with teachers and other school professionals. Contribution to Occupational Therapy This research serves as evidence that professional development courses can impact how SBOTPs practice. This study suggests that practice patterns of SBOTS can be influenced by participating in trainings that include a model with rationale and facilitated practice for providing occupation-based services in the least restrictive environment and for increasing collaborative practices in schools. School-based occupational therapy (SBOT) is integral to the educational development of children who require this service as part of their individual educational program (IEP). SBOT helps students to achieve success in occupations within the school setting, such as education, play and leisure, activities of daily living (ADLs), and social participation. Students who receive special education services are eligible for occupational therapy if the IEP team determines that SBOT is necessary to achieve the prioritized student goals developed by the team, enhancing the student’s ability to succeed in the educational program. The overarching goal of school-based occupational therapy in working with eligible students with disabilities under the federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is to support students’ abilities to successfully participate (academically and functionally) in their educational program in the least restrictive environment in order, ultimately, to prepare them for adult living (AOTA, 2017; IDEA, 2004).

ObjectiveThis study investigated the efficacy of telerehabilitation (TR) in school-based Occupational Therapy (OT) for children with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), focusing on occupational competence and parental satisfaction, aiming to contribute empirical insights to the discourse on the educational well-being of this population.Materials & MethodsThe study adopted a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) design involving 31 children diagnosed with SLD, implementing TR and in-person interventions alongside a control group. Outcome measures included the School Self-Concept Inventory, Child Occupational Self-Assessment (COSA), and Canadian Occupational Performance Measurement (COMP), analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA, post hoc tests).ResultsBoth TR and in-person interventions exhibited significant enhancements in academic self-efficacy (F=23.96, p<0.001, Partial ȵ²=0.461), occupational competence (F=70.59, p<0.001, Partial ȵ²=0.716), and parent satisfaction (F=17.03, p<0.001, Partial ȵ²=0.378) compared to the control group. Notably, no significant differences emerged between the TR and in-person groups, emphasizing their comparable effectiveness in improving outcomes.ConclusionIn conclusion, the study demonstrated the efficacy of TR and in-person interventions in school-based OT for children with SLD. The cohesive outcomes in academic self-efficacy, occupational competence, and parental satisfaction highlight TR as a versatile modality. This research, grounded in robust methodology, encourages further exploration of TR’s transformative role in enhancing the holistic well-being of children with SLDs.

To examine the effects of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and very low birth weight (VLBW) on the cognitive and academic achievement of a large sample of 8-year-old children. Infants who were VLBW and had BPD (n = 98) or did not have BPD (n = 75) and term infants (n = 99) were followed prospectively to age 8. Groups were compared on measures assessing 4 broad areas of functioning: intelligence, achievement, gross motor, and attentional skills. Measures included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III, the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement-Revised, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, the Tactual Performance Test (spatial memory), and the Continuous Performance Test (attention). School outcomes were assessed by parent and teacher report, as well as from school records. Groups were comparable on socioeconomic status, sex, and race. The total sample of BPD, VLBW, and term children was compared on all outcome measures. In addition, neurologic risk was assessed in the present sample and included the following: intraventricular hemorrhage, echodense lesions, porencephaly, hydrocephalus, ventriculoperitoneal shunt, meningitis, and periventricular leukomalacia. Individual difference analyses were conducted for neurologically intact children in all 3 groups. Finally, treatment effects were examined by comparing BPD children who had received steroids as part of their treatment with BPD children who had not. The BPD group demonstrated deficits compared with VLBW and term children in intelligence; reading, mathematics, and gross motor skills; and special education services. VLBW children differed from term children in all of the above areas, except reading recognition, comprehension, and occupational therapy. Attentional differences were obtained between BPD and term children only. The BPD group (54%) was more likely to be enrolled in special education classes than VLBW (37%) or term children (25%). In addition, more BPD children (20%) achieved full-scale IQ scores <70, in the mental retardation range, compared with either VLBW (11%) or term (3%) children, with all VLBW children significantly more likely than term children to achieve IQs in the subaverage category. After controlling for birth weight and neurologic problems, BPD and/or duration on oxygen predicted lower performance IQ, perceptual organization, full-scale IQ, motor and attentional skills, and special education placement. The qualitative classification of BPD (present or absent) was a significant predictor for lower scores on measures of applied problems; motor skills; and incidence of speech-language, occupational, and physical therapies. Individual difference analyses were performed to ascertain whether differences between the risk groups were primarily attributable to neurologic complications. Even with the neurologically intact sample of BPD and VLBW children, differences between the term comparison group and both the BPD and VLBW groups were found for many outcome measures. When birth weight and neurologic complications were controlled, BPD and severity of BPD were associated with lower performance and full-scale IQ, poorer perceptual organization, attention, and motor skills, as well as lower school achievement and greater participation in special education, including occupational, physical, and speech-language therapies. Treatment protocol may in part be responsible for differences observed in our BPD sample. Steroid and nonsteroid groups of BPD children differed significantly in performance IQ (72.8 vs 84.8) and full-scale IQ (77.0 vs 85.2); perceptual organization (74.0 vs 85.2); Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency score (36.6 vs 44.7); and participation in special education (78% vs 48%), occupational therapy (71% vs 44%), and physical therapy (71% vs 41%). In every instance, BPD children who received steroids fared more poorly than BPD children who did not receive steroids. BPD and duration on oxygen have long-term adverse effects on cognitive and academic achievement above and be beyond the effects of VLBW. The problems that have been identified at 8 years of age highlight the need for continued monitoring of the learning, behavior, and development of BPD children to intervene with children who are at risk for school problems.

Background:Clinical education is a vital factor in the process of learning in medical sciences universities. The aim of the present study was to explore the perspectives of fieldwork educators and students concerning barriers to occupational therapy fieldwork education in Iran.Materials and Methods:A qualitative research was conducted from May 2019 to April 2020 to address the study objectives. The data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman's approach. Purposive sampling was used to enroll 12 educators and 14 students of various backgrounds (physical disabilities-adult, physical disabilities-pediatrics, psychosocial-adult, and psychosocial-pediatrics) in the study.Results:The findings indicated that the main themes were related to fieldwork educators, fieldwork settings, educational planning, students, and educational regulation.Conclusions:It can be concluded that the perspectives of students and occupational therapy educators regarding the field of clinical education are not only important but also useful for the attainment of effective clinical education and the development of knowledge related to rehabilitation nursing education. Therefore, educational planners should develop effective programs based on these themes.