“Experiences of Occupational Therapists with the Every Student Succeeds Act”

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the United States, school occupational therapists serve as related service providers under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and specialized instructional support personnel (SISP) for all students under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Since ESSA was enacted in 2015, there has been limited research on school occupational therapists’ understanding and application of their professional expertise to support all students. Given the gap in research, this study focused on facilitators and barriers to school occupational therapy practitioners’ participation in Connecticut public school settings. A convenience sample identified five school occupational therapists. Participation involved engagement in a 6-week program, including 10-minute asynchronous learning activities and 30-minute synchronous virtual meetings. Methods included a pre/post-intervention survey, a weekly questionnaire, and a thematic analysis of recordings. Findings indicated that program course content and activities led to improved insight on ESSA. The program revealed the following themes: there are benefits in ESSA involvement, further education on ESSA is warranted, engagement in ESSA occurs more than realized, and barriers may not be as significant as initially perceived. Qualitative findings identified themes for school occupational therapists to increase their participation in ESSA.