Occupational Therapists\u27 Intervention Approaches in Secondary Transition Services for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have poor adult outcomes following high school compared to students without disabilities. Issues including poor self-determination, limited work and community experiences, and poor life skills contribute to poor adult outcomes. Occupational therapists possess unique skills that guide intervention in these areas. Despite explicit skills, occupational therapists are currently not predominate service providers in secondary transition services for students with disabilities. This study focused on transition-related intervention approaches used by occupational therapists in the Arizona Peoria Unified School District. Data was collected through qualitative research of a larger study designed to establish the role for occupational therapy in effective transition programming. Application of grounded theory methodology revealed themes describing how occupational therapists utilize transition-related approaches. Themes included collaboration with team members, occupational therapists\u27 transition repertoire, specific interventions, and therapists\u27 perspectives of students. Application of findings will enhance multi-disciplinary understanding of occupational therapy\u27s role in secondary transition-related intervention approaches

Teachers\u27 Of Students With Visual Impairments Perceptions And Experiences Of Teaching The Expanded Core Curriculum

The purpose of the qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) in the state of North Dakota regarding the expanded core curriculum (ECC). This study included transcribed interviews from six TSVIs who taught in grades K-12. The National Agenda for the Education of Children and Youths with Visual Impairments, Including Those with Multiple Disabilities was used to frame this study. Phenomenological methods were used to analyze the interviews into codes, categories, themes, and an assertion. Following were the seven themes supported by the data collected: 1. Teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) reported that the responsibility of educating students with visual impairments is “huge”; therefore, it takes a village (i.e., North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind [NDVS/SB] professionals, teams, and others) to ensure the unique needs of students with visual impairments are met. 2. TSVIs emphasized the importance of systematic and purposeful instruction, and ongoing and systematic checks for understanding. 3. TSVIs perceived instructors at the NDVS/SB as experts in teaching the expanded core curriculum. 4. TSVIs perceived they were primarily responsible for teaching compensatory skills and use of assistive technology. 5. TSVIs perceived the parents of students with visual impairments and the NDVS/SB were primarily responsible for teaching independent living skills of the expanded core curriculum (ECC). 6. TSVIs perceived academic curriculum takes precedence over the expanded core curriculum. 7. Limited time and limited access prohibit TSVIs from providing consistent, and systematic, instruction of the expanded core curriculum within their respective school districts. These seven themes converged into the following assertion: Educating students with visual impairments in the state of North Dakota requires an integrative approach in which academic curriculum and expanded core curriculum are addressed through collaborative efforts among all stakeholders and service providers. In summary, educating students with visual impairments is an enormous task that no one person can accomplish alone. It behooves stakeholders, associated with vision impairments, to work together to create models for teaching the expanded core curriculum that ensure equity of services throughout the state

Essential Elements for Assessment of Persons with Severe Neurological Impairments for Computer Access Using Assistive Technology Devices: A Delphi Study

This study was undertaken with the intention of determining potential elements for inclusion in an assessment of persons with disabilities for access to computers utilizing assistive technology (AT). There is currently a lack of guidelines regarding areas that constitute a comprehensive and valid measure of a person’s need for AT devices to enable computer access, resulting in substandard services. A list of criteria for elements that should be incorporated into an instrument for determining AT for computer access was compiled from a literature review in the areas of neuroscience, rehabilitation, and education; and a Delphi study using an electronic survey form that was e-mailed to a panel of experts in the field of AT. The initial Delphi survey contained 22 categories (54 subcategories) and elicited 33 responses. The second round of the survey completed the Delphi process resulting in a consensus by the panel of experts for inclusion of 39 subcategories or elements that could be utilized in an assessment instrument. Only those areas rated as essential to the assessment process (very important or important by 80% of the respondents) were chosen as important criteria for an assessment instrument. Many of the non-selected elements were near significance, were studied in the literature, or were given favorable comments by the expert panelists. Other areas may be redundant or could be subsumed under another category. There are inherent obstacles to prescribing the proper AT device to assist disabled persons with computer access due to the complexity of their conditions. There are numerous technological devices to aid persons in accomplishing diverse tasks. This study reveals the complexity of the assessment process, especially in persons with severe disabilities associated with neurological conditions. An assessment instrument should be broad ranging considering the multidimensional nature of AT prescription for computer access. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors affect the provision of AT

Educators\u27 Perceptions of Assistive Technology for Students With Severe or Multiple Disabilities

Assistive technology (AT) is defined as any tool that can help integrate students with severe or multiple disabilities (SMD) into learning activities. As mandated by federal law, AT must be considered for all students with disabilities. Educators, however, do not consistently embrace low and mid tech AT devices in reading and the language arts, thus limiting student engagement in learning activities. The purpose of this study was to explore educators\u27 perceptions of their experiences regarding the acquisition and the use of low and mid tech assistive devices with students with SMD. This study builds on the existing literature base of using AT to increase student participation in literacy activities, thus moving students through Vygotsky\u27s zone of proximal development from limited performance to independent performance. Research questions in this study addressed (a) educators\u27 experiences regarding the use of AT for students with SMD, (b) educators\u27 perceptions of AT use for students with SMD, and (c) strategies educators use to match AT to students with SMD. A qualitative phenomenological research design utilizing interviews with educators and unobtrusive data collection was used to determine the effectiveness of the incorporation of AT devices in learning activities for students with SMD. Results indicate that educators have limited AT use and little or no training. This study indicates the need for formal and informal AT training for educators and contributes to social change by enhancing the literature on academic modifications and adaptations with the use of low and mid tech assistive device interventions. Implications for social change include improving teaching practices for students with SMD

The Experiences of Students with Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study of Postsecondary Students in Ghana

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of students with disabilities at Golden Technical Institute (a pseudonym) in the eastern belt of Ghana. The theories guiding this study were Hosking’s critical disability theory and Tinto’s student persistence theory. This study sought to understand postsecondary students with disabilities’ social and academic experiences and institutional and personal factors that impact persistence. Transcendental phenomenological research approach was employed to understand how students with disabilities experience the phenomenon under the study. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select participants. Twelve participants took part in this research. Data were collected through personal interviews, focus group discussion, and prompt letter. I made sense of the text collected from interviews, focus group discussion, and prompt letter. I built detailed descriptions, applied codes, and developed themes. The five themes that emerged from this study include learning, relationship and interaction, social influence, institutional factors, and determination and perseverance. This research revealed both positive and negative interactions among participants, instructors, and peers

Occupational Therapy\u27s Role: A Foundational Occupational Therapy Education Resource for Ghana

In the developing country of Ghana, West Africa, there is a population of over 1 million individuals with disabilities (Timney, 2007). Ninety-five percent of these people have no rehabilitation service access (Timney, 2007). Due to the presence of social, political, and economic factors including negative societal stigma towards people with disabilities, political corruption and poverty, Ghana\u27s population is vulnerable for occupational deprivation. Occupational deprivation places this population at risk for preventing engagement in or forceful discontinuation of meaningful daily occupations such as farming, education, and employment opportunities (Whiteford, 2000; Yeoman, 1998). The U.S. has helped offer some assistance to Ghana, focusing mainly on emergencies, such as prevention of infectious diseases (Timney, 2007). This assistance has neglected to include those who are disabled. Although rehabilitation faculty from other countries have visited Ghana to provide intermittent assistance, the immense rehabilitation needs of Ghana would be best met by the retention of rehabilitation personnel within the country. In response to this need, the School of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Ghana was established in 2012; however, the program lacks permanent occupational therapy faculty to teach incoming students (Crouch, 2001). In 2013, there were only two qualified occupational therapists reported in the country (Beguin, 2013). Ghana\u27s developing occupational therapy program could be initially sustained with external assistance to develop educational coursework to train occupational therapists that will be retained in Ghana (Crouch, 2001; Timney, 2007). Therefore, the purpose of this project was to create an education resource to provide to the University of Ghana to further the development and sustainment of the occupational therapy program. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on topics related to occupational engagement, people with disabilities, and the development of an occupational therapy education program in Ghana, Africa. Research was done on the culture of this country, prevalent disabilities, adult learning style, the healthcare system, and steps that have already been taken in Ghana, Africa to develop rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities. In addition, data was obtained from a series of needs assessments to provide a personal perspective for content of the product and targeted audience. Lastly, a personal communication interview was conducted with qualified individuals who had first-hand experience with this culture and occupational therapy to gain insight into their professional opinion of foreseen needs to address. The Person- Environment-Occupation Model has guided the data gathering process and development of the product. This information has supported the need for implementation of occupational therapy educational materials to further progress this country\u27s developing occupational therapy rehabilitation program and meet the unique needs of this population. An educational resource was developed to provide the foundational materials needed for occupational therapy students to learn about the role of this profession as well as the basic assessment and intervention strategies that meet Ghana\u27s population needs. This resource contains foundational skills that teachers and students will use to prepare occupational therapy students for meeting the unmet needs of people living with disabilities in Ghana. It is anticipated that this foundational occupational therapy educational resource will enable this profession to become better known and understood, in addition to aiding in the development of a sustainable, established, and permanent occupational therapy program in Ghana

The Impact of an Instructional Model with Assistive Technology on Achievement Satisfaction of People with Physical-Motor Impairments

Background: The use of new technologies in education is a topic that has attracted the attention of educational experts over the past two decades. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an instructional model enriched with assistive technology on the achievement satisfaction of people with physical-motor impairments in learning English. Methods: The research method is semi-experimental, with a pre-test/post-test design using a control group. The statistical population consisted of male individuals with physical mobility impairments studying at Imam Ali Educational Center in Tehran. To determine the sample size,Cohen’s (1986) table was used. Based on the sample size table, 16 people were selected. In this method, after drawing up a student list with a random number table, the sample was selected after checking criteria for entry and exit. The experimental group was trained in six sessions using an instructional model enriched with online and offline assistive technologies, and the control group was trained in the usual way. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) for pre- and post-test in the experimental group were 75.50 ± 5.90 and 82.25 ± 6.29, respectively, and was 75.38 ± 11 and 77.37 ± 11.91 in the control group. The results of the analysis of covariance between adjusted means of both groups for variable of academic satisfaction show a significant difference between the two groups (F =20.06, P < 0.01). The effect size was 0.60. Conclusion: Using an instructional model enriched with assistive technology can be useful in teaching English to individuals with physical-motor impairments

Community Rehabilitation Programs and Organizational Change: A Mentor Guide to Increase Customized Employment Outcomes

[Excerpt] For the purpose of this Guide, customized employment is defined as a process for individualizing the employment relationship between an employee and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both. Customized employment is based on an individualized negotiation between the strengths, conditions and interests of the person with a disability and the identified business needs of the employer or the self-employment business chosen by the job seeker. Job negotiation uses job development or restructuring strategies that result in responsibilities being customized and individually negotiated to fit the requirements of the job