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Background. School-based occupational therapy (SBOT) practice takes place within a complex system that includes service recipients, service providers, and program decision makers across health and education sectors. Despite the promotion of collaborative consultation at a policy level, there is little practical guidance about how to coordinate multi-agency service and interprofessional collaboration among these stakeholders. Purpose. This paper reports on a process used to engage program administrators in an examination of SBOT collaborative consultation practice in one region of Ontario to provide an evidence-informed foundation for decision making about implementation of these services. Methods Within an appreciative inquiry framework (Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros, 2008), Developmental Work Research methods (Engeström, 2000) were used to facilitate shared learning for improved SBOT collaborative consultation. Program administrators participated alongside program providers and service recipients in a series of facilitated workshops to develop principles that will guide future planning and decision making about the delivery of SBOT services. Findings. Facilitated discussion among stakeholders led to the articulation of 12 principles for effective collaborative practice. Program administrators used their shared understanding to propose a new model for delivering SBOT services. Implications. Horizontal and vertical learning across agency and professional boundaries led to the development of powerful solutions for program improvement.

We investigated the experiences of research assistants in their dual role as both employees and trainees, when they were employed in a complex, mixedmethods, Canadian study on the everyday experience of living with and managing a chronic condition. A total of 13 research assistants participated in one or more components of this study: a survey (n = 11), focus group interview (n = 7), and/or individual interview (n = 13). Thematic analysis identified two key themes: what faculty mentors should provide to research assistants before they begin their work, and what faculty mentors need to know in order to effectively offer ongoing support to research assistants. Our results provide valuable insights for new and experienced faculty members who employ research assistants and for research assistants employed in funded research projects. Our results can inform the development of regulations to ensure that research assistants have greater protection as both trainees and employees.   

Abstract Over the past three decades, there has been considerable change in the education of children with disabilities in Canada. Children with developmental disabilities attend inclusive classrooms and are educated alongside their non-disabled peers, receiving services and supports to optimize their participation (Hutchinson, 2014; Slee, R. (2001). Social justice and the changing directions in educational research: The case of inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 5(2), 167–177). In Canada, occupational therapists have provided services in schools for over three decades with the aim of supporting participation of children with disabilities (Graham, D. R., Kennedy, D., Phibbs, C., & Stewart, D. (1990). Position paper on occupational therapy in schools. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57(4), 1–6; Reid, Chiu, Sinclair, Wehrmann, & Naseerl, 2006). This chapter presents examples from case study research conducted in Ontario, Canada, on the delivery of school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) for two young children (focal participants) with developmental disabilities. Case study research was used to describe the nature of SBOT service delivery from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Data were gathered over the duration of one school year using a combination of observation, document analysis, and interviews involving participants directly involved in the delivery of SBOT with each focal participant. Common characteristics in these two cases enabled cross-case analysis to identify features of collaborative working that facilitated educational programming and outcomes for students with developmental disability.

It was an honour to join my team on stage to receive the 2023 Resilient Australia National Award at the National Award Ceremony in Perth on 22 November for our Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Certificate Course. With me were representatives from each of the groups who are advancing inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction in their communities.

It was an honour to join my team on stage to receive the 2023 Resilient Australia National Award at the National Award Ceremony in Perth on 22 November for our Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Certificate Course. With me were representatives from each of the groups who are advancing inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction in their communities.

It was an honour to join my team on stage to receive the 2023 Resilient Australia National Award at the National Award Ceremony in Perth on 22 November for our Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Certificate Course. With me were representatives from each of the groups who are advancing inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction in their communities.

People with disability rely on different levels and types of function-based support. Access to this support can be compromised during and after a disaster.

ObjectivesIn this paper, we explore the exposure to risk and experiences of people with disability and carers during a flooding event and the subsequent mental health impacts.DesignA cross-sectional survey between September and November 2017. Binary logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between the mental health of people with disability and carers and their exposure to the flood. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data.SettingFlood-affected communities in the rural area of Northern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia, 6 months after river flooding in 2017.ParticipantsPeople over 16 years and a resident in the Northern Rivers at the time of the flood were invited to participate. Using a purposive, snowballing sampling technique participants were drawn from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and had experienced different degrees of flood exposure.ResultsOf 2252 respondents, there were 164 people with disability and 91 carers. Both groups had increased odds of having their home flooded (people with a disability: OR 2.41 95% CI 1.71 to 3.39; carers: OR 1.76 95% CI 1.10 to 2.84). On evacuation, respondents reported inaccessible, conflicting and confusing information regarding flood warnings. Essential services such as healthcare and social services were disrupted (people with a disability: OR 3.98 95% CI 2.82 to 5.60; carers 2.17 95% CI 1.33 to 3.54) and access to safe and mould free housing post flood event was limited. After taking sociodemographic factors into account, respondents with a disability and carers had greater odds of probable post-traumatic stress disorder compared with other respondents (people with a disability: 3.32 95% CI 2.22 to 4.96; carers: 1.87 95% CI 1.10 to 3.19).ConclusionOur findings show the profound impact and systemic neglect experienced by people with disability and carers during and after the 2017 flood event in the Northern Rivers. As people with disability will take longer to recover, they will require longer-term tailored supports and purposeful inclusion in flood preparedness and recovery efforts.

People with disability rely on different levels and types of function-based support. Access to this support can be compromised during and after a disaster.

Background Although collaborative consultation has been widely adopted in school-based occupational therapy practice, there is limited conceptual understanding of how collaboration contributes to educationally relevant outcomes for students with disabilities. Even without a clear understanding of the evidence related to school-based occupational therapy services, there continue to be decisions about funding and delivery of services. Purpose This paper synthesizes and critically appraises the research literature on collaborative consultation services in school-based occupational therapy in order to provide program administrators with direction for critically examining decision making for service deliveryin their districts. Key Issues Advancing occupational therapy practice in education settings requires a sound theoretical understanding of collaborative consultation. Distributed cognition offers a more robust understanding of the relationship between educator-therapist collaboration and outcomes of school-based occupational therapy services. Implications This review concludes with two fundamental conditions necessary for collaboration between educators and occupational therapists to flourish.