The Integration of Occupational Pension Regulations: Lessons for Canada

Is the integration of occupational pension regulations across the Canadian provinces feasible? In this paper, we assess the proposal for harmonization made by the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) by comparing it to the EU’s successful integration of member states’ pension regulations. We argue that CAPSA’s initiative failed both because regulatory diversity was defined as a fundamental problem and because the regulations that serve social policy goals were not protected from integration. We suggest that occupational pension integration in Canada would be feasible if provincial governments largely excluded rules on benefits and relied primarily on the mutual recognition of regulations.occupational pensions, regulation, agenda-setting, problem definition, Canada, European Union

Parents\u27 Goals: An Analysis of Therapist Reasoning

Purpose: Illustrate the use of DDDM to develop parent-identified goals for occupational therapy and to identify underlying sensory integration factors hypothesized to be impacting participation

Use of Standardized Assessments and Online Resources in Stroke Rehabilitation

Background: The extent to which movement-related standardized assessments and online resources are used in stroke rehabilitation is unclear in the United States. Method: The researchers used a cross-sectional descriptive survey that examined (a) therapists use of movement-related standardized assessments, (b) factors influencing learning of new assessments, and (c) use of frequency of online resources by occupational therapists and physical therapists in the United States. Results: Of 151 respondents (46.4% occupational therapists, 53.6% physical therapists), the most frequently used movement-related assessments by occupational and physical therapists were the Berg and Fugl-Meyer Assessment, respectively. More physical therapists use motor-related standardized assessments regularly than occupational therapists, and physical therapists showed more consensus among standardized assessments. Both professions cited quality of patient care for motivating them to integrate outcome measures into practice. Most therapists in stroke rehabilitation used online resources to access movement-related standardized assessment content at least 25% of the time. The Rehabilitation Measures Database was the most frequently used website. Conclusion: Both occupational and physical therapists use online resources for movement-related standardized assessments on a regular basis. However, occupational therapists do not use standardized assessments as frequently as physical therapists. A systematic study of factors that impact the integration of standardized assessments is needed to further identify barriers and inform clinical practice change

The Effects of Social and Labour Market Policies of EU-countries on the Socio-Economic Integration of First and Second Generation Immigrants from Different Countries of Origin

In this article, we analyse four different dimensions of socio-economic integration of 1st and 2nd generation immigrants into the labour markets of 13 EU countries and we assess, taking into account a number of individual characteristics, the effects of the countries of origin and the countries of destination on this integration. We find that participation in the labour market, unemployment, occupational status and the chances of reaching the upper middle-class are different, although inter-related, dimensions of the socio-economic integration of immigrants and they work differently for men and women. In the countries of destination, the level of employment protection legislation and the conservative welfare regime affect this integration negatively. Most indicators of national policies aimed at the integration of immigrants have no effects on the socio-economic integration of immigrants. Furthermore, we find a number of origin effects which continue to have an impact on 2nd generation immigrants. Political stability and political freedom in origin countries have positive and negative effects on socio-economic integration. The emigration rate of the origin countries has a negative effect. The higher levels of socio-economic integration amongst immigrants from other EU-countries demonstrates the functioning of the European Union as an integrated labour market .Controlling for individual religious affiliation turns out to be very useful, since we find a number of negative effects of being a Muslim, among both men and women. While individual education is an important predictor of immigrants' labour market outcomes, our findings indicate lower returns on this education in terms of occupational status, indicating a ceiling effect for highly-educated 2nd generation immigrants who cannot translate their qualifications into high-status jobs to the same extent as their native peers.immigration, integration, labour market, European Union, social policy

A Survey of Occupational Therapy Services Provided for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: We examined the services provided to adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by occupational therapists across the United States. Method: This cross-sectional study used an online survey, with a combination of structured and open-ended questions, to collect data from a nonprobability sample. Descriptive, inferential, and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze data. Results: In our sample (N= 57), the majority of the participants spent less than half of their workweek intervening with the adult ASD population. Caregivers were instrumental in both referral and discharge, and Medicaid was the most common payer source. The Adult Sensory Profile was used by more than half of the participants and sensory integration was the most influential model underlying practice (77%). The participants advised new occupational therapists to pursue high quality continuing education courses and formal mentorship from senior colleagues. Conclusion: This study suggests that working with adults with ASD remains a niche area of practice. Further research is needed to examine the pathways to receiving occupational therapy for the adult ASD population

The Nature of Occupational Unemployment Rates in the United States: Hysteresis or Structural?

This paper provides new evidence on the nature of occupational differences in unemployment dynamics, which is relevant for the debate between the structural or hysteresis hypotheses. We develop a procedure that permits us to test for the presence of a structural break at unknown date. Our approach allows the investigation of a broader range of persistence than the 0/1 paradigm about the order of integration, usually implemented for testing the hypothesis of hysteresis in occupational unemployment. In almost all occupations, we find support for both the structuralist and the hysteresis hypotheses, but stress the importance of estimating the degree of persistence of seasonal shocks along with the degree of long-run persistence on raw data without applying seasonal filters. Indeed hysteresis appears to be underestimated when data are initially adjusted using traditional seasonal filters.fractional integration, structural break, occupational unemployment, structuralist, hysteresis

Master’s and Doctoral Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceptions of Research Integration in Their Programs

This is a pilot study with the intent of identifying occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) and master’s (MOT) students’ perceptions of research in their coursework. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a survey of OTD and MOT students. The Student Perception of Research Integration Questionnaire (SPRIQ) was emailed to graduate occupational therapy programs in the United States. An unpaired single tailed t-test was used to compare the mean scores between the MOT and OTD student responses for each scale and subscale. Two hundred and twenty-six students filled out the questionnaire. Both the OTD and MOT students had a favorable perception of the integration of research into the curriculum with a mean score of 3.63 (MOT) and 3.85 (OTD) out of five. An independent t-test found there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores for two of the subscales for research integration (current research subscale p = .000 and motivation subscale p = .02) and for the beliefs scale (p = .002). Students enrolled in both MOT and OTD programs have a favorable perception of research being integrated into their curriculums. The OTD students have a more favorable perception of the integration of research in their curriculums, with a 0.30 mean difference between all items on the scale

Management of children with ADHD and LD: A survey of paediatric occupational therapists in the UK

Copyright @ 2009 The University of HuddersfieldAttention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common complex neuropsychiatric disorder frequently overlapping with learning disabilities (LD) in children with average and above intelligence (Biederman et al 1991). The complex needs of these children could be better addressed in a multidisciplinary context (Foy & Earls 2005) within which paediatric occupational therapists may have a significant role. The aim of this study was to identify the interventions used by occupational therapists in the United Kingdom with these children and explore the rationale for their use. The purpose was to provide baseline data to inform multidisciplinary team approaches for the management of these children. A survey, based on postal questionnaires, was conducted among 100 paediatric occupational therapists in the United Kingdom. The effective rate of response was 42%. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analysed. The findings suggested that therapists tended to use more than one method/ approach in the rehabilitation of these children. The sensory integration approach and the perceptual-motor training were more popular among therapists. A variety of other approaches, used on an individual needs basis, were reportedly used. Future studies to test the effectiveness of reported practices with children with both ADHD and LD are recommended

Occupational Nature of Social Participation for Adolescent Males with Learning Disorders

OBJECTIVE. This study explored the effects of community team sports on social participation and life habit development for males ages 12-17 with a documented learning disorder. METHOD. A causal/comparative design compared two groups. A convenient sample of 24 participants completed Life Habits Questionnaire and Community Integration Questionnaire. Chi-square and T-test analysis were used. RESULTS. Results indicated social integration (t=4.56, p=.00) for boys who played a community sport was significantly higher than boys who did not play a community sport. The number and performance level of life habits was also significantly higher for boys who played a community team sport (t=3.23, p=.00). CONCLUSION. Community team sports positively influence both social participation and life habits associated with social responsibilities for adolescent boys with learning disorders. Occupational therapists should promote involvement in team sports as an adjunct to therapy or consider community team sport involvement as treatment improving social participation outcomes