Increased popularity of the inclusive model of education where children with physical disabilities are integrated into neighbourhood schools is posing unique challenges for occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech-language pathologists. Researchers suggest that therapists should divest themselves of their direct treatment role and serve as consultants instructing educational personnel to apply required therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine therapists' perspectives of their working lives to identify the challenges they encounter delivering rehabilitation services to children educated in inclusive settings.
This study used a qualitative design inspired by the grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin (1998). Twenty therapists representing education and health care public, publicly funded private, and private sector agencies participated in semi-structured interviews which were audiotaped and transcribed. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding to determine emergent themes and develop meaningful interpretations.
This study has uncovered several issues related to therapy service delivery. Despite the claim of researchers that consultation is the method of choice in inclusive settings, according to therapists, in the present educational environment, this approach is not producing anticipated results. There is not the time, motivation, or resources to support collaboration, a necessary prerequisite for effective consultation and therapy delivery. Many children, therapists report, are "falling through the cracks." This paradigm shift to consultation has taken place despite a minimal evidence base. According to therapists, dissatisfaction with the present system is causing the rapid growth of private sector services, which further disadvantages already marginalized children and families.
This study also highlights the professional values and struggles of therapists to direct their own practice within organizational controls and resource limitations. Furthermore, it reveals that regardless of the therapy discipline, the work setting is a critical factor with regards to therapists' job contentment and satisfaction, and hence the perceived quality of service delivered. Surprisingly, instead of demonstrating discipline specific characteristics, therapists' values, rewards, and stressors are more closely aligned with the employment sector in which they work. This study has highlighted the many tensions and struggles encountered by therapists delivering therapy to children educated in inclusive schools.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/29010 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Burnett, Dawn |
| Contributors | Ahola-Sidaway, Janice, |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 296 p. |
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