Jeryl D. Benson

Moving the Classroom to the Clinic: The Experiences of Occupational Therapy Students During a “Living Lab”

This paper describes an experiential learning lab which emerged from designing a “living lab” that was embedded into an intervention course. The lab resulted in a teaching-learning experience that provided students with consistent opportunity to engage in clinical application of theory with feedback from peers and professionals. Results of a qualitative program evaluation indicated that this experience had a positive effect on the professional growth and development of the students and increased their ability to apply clinical reasoning skills. It also provided the students with the opportunity to examine their emotions and their change of emotions over time as they were presented with clinical challenges. A surprise outcome identified by the students was their clarity and understanding about disability. Recommendations for future community experiences for occupational therapy students as well as suggestions for program evaluation of such experiences are provided.

School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice: Perceptions and Realities of Current Practice and the Role of Occupation

The purpose of this study was to explore how school-based occupational therapists describe current practice including the role of occupation. Participants included 16 occupational therapists currently practicing in the schools. Data were collected via an interview. The methodology used in this study was a mixed qualitative design based on multiple-case study analysis and grounded theory. The participant interviews were analyzed for themes. The results indicate that school-based practitioners have a high level of satisfaction with their job. Participants report a belief that the natural context of the school supports occupation, and occupation is a strong influence during the intervention process as well as the overall daily practice of the school-based practitioner. Teams are also reported to strongly influence current practice.

An Experiential Learning Lab Embedded in a Didactic Course: Outcomes from a Pediatric Intervention Course

ABSTRACT This paper examines the outcomes of an experiential learning lab embedded in a didactic course. Program evaluation results were derived from student surveys and reflective journaling. The outcomes indicate that students valued the opportunity for experiential learning citing the primary benefits as the opportunity to, apply and manipulate knowledge, build clinical reasoning skills, and develop the professional skills to engage in and effectively manage an intervention session.

Teachers' Perceptions of the Role of Occupational Therapist in Schools.

ABSTRACT This article explores how teachers in the school system perceive the role of the occupational therapist. Participants of this study were 47 teachers in the school systems that currently work with an occupational therapist in a public or private school. Data were collected via an anonymous online survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative coding. The majority of the participants view occupational therapists as valuable team members. They report limitations to the system that challenge collaborative teaming. The participant’s desire increased communication and collaboration with the occupational therapist. Occupational therapy is perceived as a valuable contribution to the educational team that is underutilized. An increase in collaboration and communication is indicated to support the educational process but will require system change.

The Good Beginnings Clinic: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The purpose of this paper is to present the development, implementation and outcomes of an interdisciplinary clinic that models “best practices” in pediatric occupational therapy and speech language pathology. The collaborative process is presented through the use of a case example as well as information about the programs logistics, benefits, limitations and future goals.

Use of a journal club for professional development: Outcomes in a school-based occupational therapy practice

ABSTRACT This article investigates the outcomes of a journal club on the evidence-based practice (EBP) skills of school-based practitioners. Participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of EBP were collected using pre- and postsurveys following 6 monthly journal club sessions. Participants identified time, availability of articles, and decreased understanding of results as barriers. On the postsurvey, participants reported improvements in comfort with evidence-based skills, including leading an EBP discussion, using evidence in documentation, and referring colleagues to appropriate evidence-based resources. Journal club sessions improved practitioners’ comfort with the ability to discuss and utilize evidence-based resources.

Parent Perceptions of School-Based Occupational Therapy Services.

This study aims to explore the perceptions of parents of children receiving occupational therapy in educational settings, understand the importance of the parent/occupational therapist relationship and its impact on the outcomes of therapy. In addition, this study aims to reveal best practices when providing services within the school system in the United States.

Bringing Interprofessional Case-Based Learning into the Classroom for Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Students

ABSTRACT Instructors are increasingly integrating interprofessional education (IPE) activities into academic programs to address curricular demands. IPE aims to increase the quality of collaborative services provided to patients. This article describes a case-based IPE activity designed for occupational therapy and speech-language pathology graduate students. This activity was designed as a small-scale integration of IPE to compliment large scale, multi-discipline learning activities. Students from two courses participated in an IPE activity that included one online and one in-class activity. The purpose of the activity was for students to gain knowledge of their respective roles in augmentative and alternative communication services. Students perceived increased knowledge and skills following this activity. Despite the somewhat small scale of this educational intervention, the instructors viewed the activity a valuable addition to their courses.

Sensory-based intervention in the schools: a survey of occupational therapy practitioners

ABSTRACT Aim: 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.

Student Response Systems and Learning: Perceptions of the Student

ABSTRACT To assess student perception of learning and use of a student response system (SRS) as a teaching/learning strategy. Survey methods were used to explore student perceptions of learning and use of student response systems as a pedagogical strategy. Fifty-nine graduate students participated in the survey post completion of two graduate intervention courses. Overall, there was a positive response to the use of SRSs in the classroom. All of the students (100%) recommended the continued use of the clickers for various reasons. The primary benefit reported by students related to providing immediate feedback, the opportunity to manipulate and revisit the content, and the ability to check for understanding within a class session. Students recommended the continued use of the SRS in classes to support acquisition of content and exam preparation. The student reported technology difficulties as the only the negative to SRS use in the classroom. Instructor perception was that the addition of the SRS devices added a new way to interact with the students. Suggestions for incorporating the use of a SRS devices into classroom instruction are offered.