Administrators’ Perspectives on the Use of OTs in Schools

Delivery of school OT services considers equitable options for staffing, social & structural factors, to best enact public laws (Seruya & Garfinkel, 2020). Lack of access to OT roles in MTSS & ESSA is documented (Edick et al., 2023; Ray, 2022). This study focused on administrators’ perceptions of valued, effective, successful OT services & implementation to support students, align with federal laws & the OT scope of practice. A descriptive survey design was used, with non-probability sampling to recruit administrators in 125 public school districts with decision-making power regarding staffing & program implementation. An anonymous Qualtrics survey was constructed based upon literature, content experts & pilot testing. Descriptive statistics were calculated. A 43% usable response rate was attained. Administrators had familiarity with the role of OT as outlined through IDEA (100%) & ESSA (97%). Half of the administrators stated they currently use a workload model for the implementation of OT services, 83% indicated OT services were embedded effectively in their district. These values were inconsistent with reported utilization of OT services throughout the three MTSS tiers & reported value & effectiveness of OT services. Direct services were perceived as most successfully implemented (97%) & effective (38%), primarily supporting a caseload model. Most participants (75%) ranked administrative support as a key consideration impacting successful understanding & implementation of OT services. The outcomes of this study emphasize current organizational structures and processes that reinforce caseload models, contrary to best practice. The importance of school-based occupational therapists taking initiative to educate administrators about the full scope of OT within federal law is reinforced. Advocating for a workload model & integration of OT services at all MTSS tiers, supports best practice, impacting OT service delivery entitled for utilization under federal laws.

References

Edick, J., O’Brien, S., & Hardman, L. (2023). The value of collaboration with occupational therapists in school settings: Elementary teacher perspectives. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 16(3), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2022.2054488

Garfinkel, M., & Seruya, F. M. (2018). Therapists’ perceptions of the 3:1 service delivery model: A workload approach to school-based practice. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 11(3), 273–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2018.1455551

Ray, S., Diaz, I., Doyle, S., Kim, D., Renieris, A., Scardino, A., & Torres, O. (2022). Examining the practice patterns of school-based occupational therapy in western New York. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2022.2114571

Seruya, F. M., & Garfinkel, M. (2020). Caseload and workload: Current trends in school-based practice across the United States. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(5), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.039818