Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland
The shift towards inclusive education in many European countries has led to structural changes that affect both schools and their related professionals aiming to support children’s participation. While most European countries acknowledge inclusive education and its need, serious challenges exist to...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Occupational Therapy International |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3647397 |
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| _version_ | 1832567261776314368 |
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| author | Vera C. Kaelin Sylvie Ray-Kaeser Stefania Moioli Cornelia Kocher Stalder Lietta Santinelli Angelika Echsel Christina Schulze |
| author_facet | Vera C. Kaelin Sylvie Ray-Kaeser Stefania Moioli Cornelia Kocher Stalder Lietta Santinelli Angelika Echsel Christina Schulze |
| author_sort | Vera C. Kaelin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The shift towards inclusive education in many European countries has led to structural changes that affect both schools and their related professionals aiming to support children’s participation. While most European countries acknowledge inclusive education and its need, serious challenges exist to its implementation at a national and local community level. Interdisciplinary collaboration, including health and educational professionals, is seen as an imperative key principle for inclusive education services. To learn about the occupational therapist’s contribution to inclusive education, the aim of this study was to describe the state of the art of occupational therapists’ collaboration and services delivery in Swiss schools. Using an exploratory, cross-sectional study design, a web-based survey was sent to 509 occupational therapists in Switzerland resulting in 302 responses for data analysis using descriptive statistics. Findings show that nearly all participants (97%) collaborate with schools, and 49% of participants provided direct services within a mainstream school setting. These services were mainly funded by health insurance and focused on physical and social environmental adaptations. Despite reported collaboration between occupational therapists and schools, this study shows a need for changes in federal health and education legislation as well as innovative solutions for service delivery in schools. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c411b53f90f843e28ac1014546c8457a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0966-7903 1557-0703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Occupational Therapy International |
| spelling | doaj-art-c411b53f90f843e28ac1014546c8457a2025-02-03T01:01:56ZengWileyOccupational Therapy International0966-79031557-07032019-01-01201910.1155/2019/36473973647397Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in SwitzerlandVera C. Kaelin0Sylvie Ray-Kaeser1Stefania Moioli2Cornelia Kocher Stalder3Lietta Santinelli4Angelika Echsel5Christina Schulze6Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USADepartment of Occupational Therapy, School of Social Work & Health Sciences, EESP, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Lausanne 1010, SwitzerlandDepartment of Business Education, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Manno 6928, SwitzerlandSchool of Health Professions, Institute of Occupational Therapy, Zurich University of Applied Sciences Switzerland, 8400 Winterthur, SwitzerlandCentro Ergoterapia Pediatrica CEP, Bellinzona 6500, SwitzerlandSchool of Health Professions, Institute of Occupational Therapy, Zurich University of Applied Sciences Switzerland, 8400 Winterthur, SwitzerlandSchool of Health Professions, Institute of Occupational Therapy, Zurich University of Applied Sciences Switzerland, 8400 Winterthur, SwitzerlandThe shift towards inclusive education in many European countries has led to structural changes that affect both schools and their related professionals aiming to support children’s participation. While most European countries acknowledge inclusive education and its need, serious challenges exist to its implementation at a national and local community level. Interdisciplinary collaboration, including health and educational professionals, is seen as an imperative key principle for inclusive education services. To learn about the occupational therapist’s contribution to inclusive education, the aim of this study was to describe the state of the art of occupational therapists’ collaboration and services delivery in Swiss schools. Using an exploratory, cross-sectional study design, a web-based survey was sent to 509 occupational therapists in Switzerland resulting in 302 responses for data analysis using descriptive statistics. Findings show that nearly all participants (97%) collaborate with schools, and 49% of participants provided direct services within a mainstream school setting. These services were mainly funded by health insurance and focused on physical and social environmental adaptations. Despite reported collaboration between occupational therapists and schools, this study shows a need for changes in federal health and education legislation as well as innovative solutions for service delivery in schools.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3647397 |
| spellingShingle | Vera C. Kaelin Sylvie Ray-Kaeser Stefania Moioli Cornelia Kocher Stalder Lietta Santinelli Angelika Echsel Christina Schulze Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland Occupational Therapy International |
| title | Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland |
| title_full | Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland |
| title_fullStr | Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland |
| title_short | Occupational Therapy Practice in Mainstream Schools: Results from an Online Survey in Switzerland |
| title_sort | occupational therapy practice in mainstream schools results from an online survey in switzerland |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3647397 |
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