Academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs) face the challenge of matching students to Level II fieldwork (FW) sites. This study surveyed 301 fieldwork educators (FWEs) from 30 states to explore how important it was for students to possess 25 characteristics or abilities to enable success at the educators' individual work sites. The top three characteristics and abilities overall were as follows: (1) time management, (2) ability to communicate with supervisor when help is needed, and (3) overall professional behavior. Using Mann-Whitney U-tests for ordinal data, statistically significant differences (p ≤ .01) were found between settings with acute care having the highest expectations of students. Overall results support the value of FW coordinators matching students' abilities to demands of settings prior to Level II FW placements. Top ranking items may also guide schools on admissions criteria and skill development throughout curriculum.
Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for children with autism. A 10-week therapeutic adaptive swimming pilot study was conducted with individualized swim instruction from an OT or physical therapy student. Parent perspective was investigated to identify the benefits of instruction by a therapist in training. Qualitative themes discovered support swim instruction through an OT lens to increase skills in children with autism.
Primary Author and Speaker: Rebecca Woodson
Additional Authors and Speakers: Erika Kemp
Date Presented 3/30/2017
Academic fieldwork coordinators spend considerable time and effort matching students to Level II fieldwork sites. This research demonstrates that differences exist in desired student abilities that enable student success in a variety of fieldwork settings as ranked by fieldwork educators.
Primary Author and Speaker: Erika Kemp
Contributing Authors: Jeffrey L. Crabtree
Date Presented 04/23/21
Children with autism often experience difficulty with gross motor skills, leading to decreased activity engagement. A 10-week therapeutic adaptive swimming pilot study was conducted with individualized instruction from an OT or physical therapy student. Goal Attainment Scaling was used to form individualized goals and track each child's motor control and swim skills. Quantitative data show increased skill attainment and supports the use of OT in the aquatic setting.
Primary Author and Speaker: Kelly Walsh
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