Experiences of lesbian and gay occupational therapists in the healthcare system

Narrative data from open-ended questions from a descriptive cross-sectional survey surrounding the experience of 24 lesbian and gay occupational therapists in their work and patient roles are discussed. An iterative and inductive analysis of therapists\u27 responses resulted in identification of three emergent themes: deciding when to come out, the culture of the setting impacts if and to whom I come out; and shades of discrimination affect the work and patient role. Findings are discussed in relation to the implications for occupational therapists and other allied healthcare providers as a way to inform professionals and educators of the lived experience of lesbian and gay therapists, the impact of embracing diversity through one\u27s attitude, knowledge and skill through education, and advocacy at the professional and pre-service levels

Perceptions of Mentoring of Full-Time Occupational Therapy Faculty in the United States

The purpose of this study was to describe the occurrence, nature and perception of the influence of mentoring for full-time occupational therapy faculty members who are on the tenure track or eligible for re-appointment in the United States. An online survey was sent during 2010 September, the beginning of the academic year, to all 818 potential participants in the United States entry-level and doctoral programmes. Fifty six of 107 participants who met the criteria reported being in a mentoring relationship and positively rated their perception of the influence of mentoring on academic success and academic socialization. The response of all participants to open-ended questions describes preferred mentoring characteristics (providing information, support), benefits (having someone to go to, easing the stress) and challenges (not enough time, mentoring not valued). Findings inform current and potential faculty of the current state of mentoring. Administrators can use this information when designing mentoring opportunities, educating mentors and mentees about the mentoring process, arranging mentors/mentees release time for engaging in the mentoring process and finally, managing the mentor/mentee needs. The cross-sectional survey of the United States occupational therapy faculty limits generalizability yet paves the way for future studies to explore retention and recruitment of mentored faculty across countries. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Seeking consensus through the use of the Delphi technique in health sciences research

The purposes of this paper are to explain how the Delphi technique has been used as a research methodology for seeking consensus among experts in the health science literature and to offer a model for its future use. The authors discuss the proposed model by exploring how the Delphi technique was used to develop a survey tool to explore mentoring practices of health science faculty members. The authors\u27 aims are to explain the use of this methodological approach in obtaining face and content validity of survey tools and to apprize the scholarly community in the health sciences of the relevance of the model. © 2013 Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, Wash., DC

An observational study exploring academic mentorship in physical therapy

BACKGROUND: Health professions faculty members often come to the academy without formal training as a professor. A challenge that exists for many new professors is the expectation that they will effectively balance their tripartite roles, which include ensuring teaching excellence, research rigor, and service to the university community Mentoring has been suggested to be a way that new faculty can be supported as they seek to meet these expectations. Currently, there is limited information on faculty mentoring for physical therapy (PT) faculty. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to discover if and to what extent mentoring is occurring in entry-level PT education for new full-time PT faculty. DESIGN: Exploratory, cross-sectional survey research design. METHODS: Using the Health Sciences Faculty Mentoring Survey, the authors gathered descriptive data regarding faculty mentoring across entry-level PT education. RESULTS: Of the 66 respondents in this study only 15 faculty members (22.7%) reported having a faculty mentor, with only 10 of these receiving mentorship from within their own PT department. While the sample size was small, the data provide specific information on current mentorship practices in the PT academic community. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the presence of academic mentorship in PT is limited. In light of this finding, the authors sought to provide insight on PT faculty perceptions regarding mentorship in the academy and discuss possible frameworks that can be used to develop and support the tripartite roles of novice faculty as they transition into the academy

Engaging chinese children with autism to interact with portable hand-and finger-gesture based applications: Experiment and reflections

Recent work by researchers in China has demonstrated the potential for collaborative play as an educational tool for children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this paper, researchers in the United States and China investigate the potential for accessible interface design and learning by students with ASD. Through the use of known tools and interventions, an educational protocol has been designed to evaluate two applications. The pilot studies, including experimental design and outcomes, are presented here, and provide a solid foundation for comparative assessment of mid-air finger-gesture interaction as well as hand-gesture interaction. Early results in China are promising, based on experiences in the United States

Parents\u27 experiences with services and treatment for their children diagnosed with cerebral palsy

While there is a considerable body of knowledge investigating the efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), there is a need for information focusing on parents\u27 experiences when their children receive these services. This qualitative research study initially explored the experiences of four parents with children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and who participated in CIMT using a group format. Additionally, the richness of the information shared by parents provided insights on other important issues related to family supports when raising a child and the availability of resources for children diagnosed with CP. Response analysis from in-depth interviews with parents resulted in three themes: (a) Everything in my family changed when my child was diagnosed with CP and the support I feel from my family makes all the difference in how I cope. (b) It was so hard to get the information and support that I needed for my child. (c) The group format enhanced CIMT for my child and provided social benefits as well. Findings from this study suggest there are benefits of using CIMT in group formats. © 2011 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc