Occupational Therapy Services in School-Based Practice: A Pediatric Occupational Therapy Perspective from Ireland.
Carol O'Donoghue, Jennifer O'Leary, Helen Lynch
PMID 34220382WHAT IT FOUND
Irish school-based OTs mostly deliver one-to-one therapy and see schools monthly, but lack specific training and guidelines.
They value collaboration but struggle to implement it due to time and workload constraints.
Key findings
01Most respondents used a one-to-one approach and visited schools infrequently, with no respondents working in the same school daily.
02The majority of respondents had not received specific training to work in schools, relying instead on general continuing professional development.
03Therapists identified collaboration as a strength but reported barriers including lack of time and role overload that prevented effective implementation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The total population of pediatric OTs working in schools in Ireland is unknown, so the response rate is an estimate. No respondents from the Connacht region participated, limiting national representation. The majority of respondents were senior therapists, so findings may not reflect the experiences of junior staff. The survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected therapists' availability and work patterns.
Declared interests
No specific funding or conflict of interest declarations are provided in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the high percentage of therapists working in schools means school-based occupational therapy is fully established or standardized in Ireland. The study shows that most therapists are employed by health services, not schools, and lack specific training, leading to inconsistent practices that may not align with best-practice collaborative models.