Assistive technology reasoning in rural school-based occupational therapy

Area of Science:

• Education
• Rehabilitation
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Assistive Technology (AT) service provision in rural school settings presents unique challenges.
• Understanding practitioner beliefs is key to improving AT service delivery.
• Existing literature highlights gaps in AT integration within educational frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the beliefs of practitioners regarding their roles in AT service provision within rural schools.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to effective AT service delivery in these settings.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative, naturalistic study design was employed.
• Data collection involved open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured ethnographic interviews.
• Participants included occupational therapy practitioners and AT leaders in West Virginia.

Main Results:

• Practitioner roles in AT service provision were often unclear, leading to AT being a last resort.
• Limited inclusion of AT in the core curriculum was identified as a significant issue.
• Practitioners reported insufficient collaboration and in-service education opportunities.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the need for clearer role definitions for AT providers in rural schools.
• Integrating AT into the core curriculum and enhancing professional development are essential.
• Addressing these issues can improve the effectiveness of AT service delivery for students.