Increasing the occupational therapy mental health workforce through innovative practice education: a pilot project.

AIM: This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot trial of two innovative placement models in the area of mental health, namely role emerging and collaborative supervision. The Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborative conducted this trial in response to workforce shortages in mental health. METHOD: Six occupational therapy students and eight practice educators were surveyed pre- and post-placements regarding implementation of these innovative models. RESULTS: Students participating in these placements reported that they were highly likely to work in mental health upon graduation, and practice educators were positive about undertaking innovative placements in future. An overview of the placement sites, trials, outcomes and limitations of this pilot trial is provided. CONCLUSION: Though limited by its small sample size, this pilot trial has demonstrated the potential of innovative placement models to provide valuable student learning experiences in mental health. The profession needs to develop expertise in the use of innovative placement models if students are to be adequately prepared to work with the mental health issues of the Australian community now and in the future.

Cognitive Orientation for daily Occupational Performance approach for children with Asperger's Syndrome:a case report.

Cognitive Orientation for daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is a client-centred, cognitive approach to acquisition of occupational skills. Children are taught a global problem solving framework and are guided to discover Domain Specific Strategies to enable mastery of their child chosen skills. A major focus of CO-OP is on the generalization and transfer of learned strategies and skills to everyday life. Two case studies are reported that provide preliminary evidence of the effects of CO-OP on the everyday lives of two siblings (aged 9 years and 11 years) with Asperger's Syndrome. The data were drawn from the detailed diary kept by the children's mother from the start of intervention and for two months after intervention ceased. Thematic analysis of the diary entries revealed multiple detailed accounts of the children's spontaneous use of the global problem solving framework to assist with acquisition of new motor skills, to overcome organizational and social-emotional difficulties, as well as numerous examples of generalization and transfer of skills. This case report provides preliminary support for CO-OP as an intervention for children with Asperger's Syndrome that supports both skill acquisition and generalization and transfer of skills and strategies.

Motor and functional skills of children with developmental coordination disorder: a pilot investigation of measurement issues.

This paper reports on the motor and functional outcomes of 20 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) aged 4-8 years consecutively referred to a pediatric physiotherapy service. Children with a Movement ABC (M-ABC) score less than the 15th percentile, and with no concurrent medical, sensory, physical, intellectual or neurological impairments, were recruited. The Motor Assessment Outcomes Model (MAOM) [Coster and Haley, Infants and Young Children 4 (1992) 11] provided the theoretical base for measurement selection, and preliminary findings at the activities and participation levels of the model are reported in this article. Children with DCD performed at the lower end of the normal range on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (fine motor total score) (M=85.65, SD=12.23). Performance on the Visual Motor Integration Test (VMI) standard scores was within the average range (M=96.15, SD=10.69). Videotaped observations of the children's writing and cutting indicated that 29% were left-handed and that a large proportion of all children (31%) utilized unusual pencil grasp patterns and immature prehension of scissors. Measurement at the participation level involved use of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance (PCSA) and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Overall, these young children rated themselves towards the more competent and accepted end of the PCSA over the dimensions of physical and cognitive competence and peer and maternal acceptance. The PEDI revealed generally average performance on social (M=49.98, SD=16.62) and mobility function (M=54.71, SD=3.99), however, self-care function was below the average range for age (M=38.01, SD=12.19). The utility of the MAOM as a framework for comprehensive measurement of functional and motor outcomes of DCD in young children is discussed.