Perspectives of School-Based Occupational Therapists

Background: In the United States, schools are the second largest employer of occupational therapists (AOTA, 2020a). While research on school-based topics exist, to date there is no comprehensive study on school-based occupational therapy (OT) practice. The purpose of this study was to describe current implementation of the school-based OT process and better understand perspectives of school-based occupational therapists. Methods: This descriptive study consisted of a researcher-developed survey with open- and close-ended demographic and practical questions related to the school-based OT process. A convenience sample of school-based occupational therapists were recruited with a snowball recruitment strategy via email and social media to complete a one-time electronic survey. Results: Three hundred and thirty-one occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants from 41 states with varying experiences completed the survey. The respondents reported mostly consistent referral types, evaluation processes, and service delivery types. Their involvement on problem-solving and education teams varied. Conclusion: This study qualitatively and quantitatively describes the respondents’ practice trends that vary from best practice guidelines and the barriers that cause this. To foster a paradigm shift to best practice, occupational therapists and educational leadership must collaborate to address the three major barriers of role confusion, transition to workload, and inconsistent view of OT leadership and empowerment.