Working with children with autism: an interprofessional simulation-based tutorial for speech pathology and...

There is an increasing need to include interprofessional experiences in undergraduate health education. Simulation is one methodology revered as being able to facilitate interprofessional learning opportunities in a safe, structured environment. This project aimed to develop, trial and evaluate an interprofessional simulation role-play tutorial utilising DVD resources. In total, 70 speech pathology students and 76 occupational therapy students participated in a role-play involving DVD footage and documentation to facilitate assessment planning and analysis of assessment data for a child with autism. Questionnaires asked participants to rate their perceived experiences across 13 items using a 5-point Likert scale, as well as three open-ended questions. The results revealed positive reactions to the role-play and suggested that students felt that the learning objectives had been met. Many students expressed interest in engaging in further interprofessional learning experiences. Taken in conjunction with other similar studies, interprofessional simulation-based workshops using DVD footage may provide a manageable alternative to traditional interprofessional learning modalities, in particular when incorporating clients with complex and developmental disabilities.