Contemporary Trends and Practice Strategies in Pediatric Occupational and Physical Therapy

Abstract

This paper identifies and reflects on recent trends in pediatric occupational therapy and physical therapy practice. These trends were initially identified by the student authors for a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) leadership seminar, which was conducted as part of the postprofessional graduate program in physical therapy at the University of Washington. Trends were then reviewed and discussed among the student and faculty authors. Consensus was reached on the most important trends, which were subsequently summarized in this paper. The first part of the paper reviews the impact of these trends on current and future clinical practices in health, educational, and community-based settings. The second part of the paper offers proposed directions to meet the challenges presented by the trends in four key areas; (1) research, (2) professional education, (3) enhancing family-centered care, and (4) advocacy.

Profile of paediatric occupational therapy practice in Australia

“…Occupational therapists are trained at the university undergraduate and entry-level Masters level, where professional educational curricula provide the fundamental theoretical and clinical skill basis for future practice ( Jirikowic et al 2001;Wood et al 2001). Through exposure to various theoretical models, occupational therapists build their own personal conceptual frameworks that assist them to integrate theory with practice (Kortman, 1994).…”

“…Occupational therapists are trained at the university undergraduate and entry‐level Masters level, where professional educational curricula provide the fundamental theoretical and clinical skill basis for future practice (Jirikowic et al 2001; Wood et al . 2001).…”

Paediatricots: Utilisation of an Australian list serve to support occupational therapists working with children

“…On a day-to-day basis, therapists must be aware of research and treatment options, advances in equipment and changing practice models. Often confronted with both limited resources and technical assistance, it has been found that therapists rely heavily on their own experience, and the expert opinion and advice of their colleagues, when making clinical decisions (Bennett et al, 2003;Jirikowic et al, 2001). List serves, such as Paediatricots, provide therapists with access to relevant and immediate communication with colleagues (Schloman, 2001).…”

Understanding advocacy in action: A qualitative study

“…Occupational therapists advocate with/for people with disabilities. Most often, discussion about advocacy occurs in relation to working with specific groups, such as children (Cahill and Suarez-Balcazar, 2009;Jirikowic et al, 2001;Rigby and Huggins, 2003;Sharp et al, 2012), adults with mental illness (Cogan, 2014;Dressler and MacRae, 1998;Kubina, 2000) and older adults (Andonian and MacRae, 2011;Du Toit et al, 2014;Hart, 2010;Hobson, 2006). Advocacy is also discussed with respect to particularly marginalized groups such as individuals experiencing domestic violence and/or homelessness (Cage, 2007;Grandisson et al, 2009;Gutman et al, 2004;Koch, 2001).…”