Karen M Dishman1, Julie Duckart2, Leslie J Hardman3. 1. Karen M. Dishman, OTD, OTR, ATP, is Interim Chair, Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, and Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Department, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville; kmdishman1@usi.edu. 2. Julie Duckart, PhD, OTR/L, is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond. 3. Leslie J. Hardman, OTD, OTR/L, is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond.
Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Missing from the recent literature is information about specific categories of assistive technology (AT) education provided in entry-level occupational therapy curricula. OBJECTIVE: To examine occupational therapists' perceptions of the AT education received in occupational therapy entry-level programs, specifically the AT categories in which therapists received training. DESIGN: Quantitative survey study with Likert-scale, multiple-choice, or ordinal ranking-scale questions and three open-response questions. Format was a web-based Qualtrics survey tool; participants had approximately 2 mo to respond. PARTICIPANTS: Occupational therapists certified as Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) were recruited through the Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America email database (response rate of 21%; N = 148). OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Outcomes may contribute to determining what categories of AT are missing from occupational therapy entry-level curricula and what further education is needed to develop competency. RESULTS: Occupational therapists with ATP certification did not perceive their entry-level curricula as having adequately prepared them in the AT categories of technology for learning disabilities (67%), computer access (57%), augmentative and alternative communication (57%), and accessible transportation (52%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study supports the need for occupational therapy entry-level programs to reexamine the categories and amount of AT training they currently provide. Future research with a larger and more generalized sample could provide more detailed evidence of which AT categories should be provided. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: This article provides evidence that to use AT in intervention, entry-level occupational therapists require increased training in specific AT categories.
IMPORTANCE: Missing from the recent literature is information about specific categories of assistive technology (AT) education provided in entry-level occupational therapy curricula. OBJECTIVE: To examine occupational therapists' perceptions of the AT education received in occupational therapy entry-level programs, specifically the AT categories in which therapists received training. DESIGN: Quantitative survey study with Likert-scale, multiple-choice, or ordinal ranking-scale questions and three open-response questions. Format was a web-based Qualtrics survey tool; participants had approximately 2 mo to respond. PARTICIPANTS: Occupational therapists certified as Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) were recruited through the Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America email database (response rate of 21%; N = 148). OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Outcomes may contribute to determining what categories of AT are missing from occupational therapy entry-level curricula and what further education is needed to develop competency. RESULTS: Occupational therapists with ATP certification did not perceive their entry-level curricula as having adequately prepared them in the AT categories of technology for learning disabilities (67%), computer access (57%), augmentative and alternative communication (57%), and accessible transportation (52%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study supports the need for occupational therapy entry-level programs to reexamine the categories and amount of AT training they currently provide. Future research with a larger and more generalized sample could provide more detailed evidence of which AT categories should be provided. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: This article provides evidence that to use AT in intervention, entry-level occupational therapists require increased training in specific AT categories.