Collaboration between occupational therapists and teachers: definitions, implementation and efficacy

Area of Science:

• Health and Education Policy
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Occupational Therapy Practice

Background:

• Collaboration between occupational therapists and teachers is crucial for supporting student well-being and educational outcomes.
• Existing literature primarily focuses on US and UK contexts, with limited empirical data available for other regions.
• Definitions of collaboration vary, and the effectiveness of joint practice remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review health and education literature on occupational therapist-teacher collaboration.
• To define collaboration, identify barriers, and assess its effectiveness.
• To determine implications for Australian research and practice.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive electronic search of health and education databases was conducted.
• Manual searching of reference lists of retrieved articles was performed.
• Included studies were reviewed for quality and relevance to the research question.

Main Results:

• Nine research articles (6 qualitative, 3 quantitative), 7 discussion papers, and 3 literature reviews were analyzed.
• The majority of literature originates from the USA and UK, with limited empirical evidence.
• Definitions of collaboration are inconsistent, and evidence of effectiveness is scant, despite reported professional desire.

Conclusions:

• While anecdotal support for collaboration is strong, empirical evidence is limited but positive.
• Implementation of collaboration is inconsistent and poorly researched, highlighting a need for evidence-based strategies.
• Factors supporting collaboration include interactional, organizational, and systemic elements, crucial for developing Australian-specific models.