Occupational Therapy and Inclusion in Child Care Environments

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine whether and how Canadian occupational therapists contribute to child care inclusion. Over 200 Canadian paediatric occupational therapists completed a web based survey identifying the nature of their practice related to inclusion. Findings confirmed that Canadian occupational therapists do support child care inclusion, and that some characteristics of their practice and clients influence the degree of inclusive practice. Results also suggested that occupational therapists could improve their support for child care inclusion by increasing their focus on institutional environments, increasing referrals to child care programs, and increasing the amount of time spent in child care environments. Further study is required to provide a more in-depth understanding of occupational therapy and child care inclusion; this might be best accomplished through qualitative study of practices of occupational therapists identified to be most inclusive in this study.