Working with Clients with Learning Disabilities and Multiple Physical Handicaps: A Comparison between Hospital and Community Based Therapists

Abstract

This comparative study looked at hospital and community based occupational therapists who worked with clients with learning disabilities and multiple physical handicaps. The factors that were examined were the time spent by occupational therapists with this group, the interventions that were used, and the learning support that was needed for the therapists. Information was gathered from questionnaires and semistructured interviews. The results showed a distinct difference between the two groups of occupational therapists, with remedial activities being the focus in the hospital setting and functional activities in the community. Most of the respondents felt that they had not had either sufficient education at college or sufficient support when they started their service. A change in role from therapist to consultant was found in those working in the community and this group also placed more emphasis on keeping up to date with developments in this specialist field.