Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Programs’ Emphasis on Play: A Survey

Play is a key occupation for children. Despite this, research suggests that pediatric occupational therapists primarily use play as a modality rather than addressing it as an outcome. Lack of education related to play has been identified as a factor contributing to the limited use of play in interve...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anita W. Mitchell, Jennifer Hale, Meg Lawrence, Erwin Murillo, Katie Newman, Hannah Smith
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Eastern Kentucky University 2018-01-01
Series:Journal of Occupational Therapy Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2018.020105
Description
Summary:Play is a key occupation for children. Despite this, research suggests that pediatric occupational therapists primarily use play as a modality rather than addressing it as an outcome. Lack of education related to play has been identified as a factor contributing to the limited use of play in intervention; therefore, this study examined entry-level occupational therapy programs’ emphasis on play in their curricula. Faculty from entry-level occupational therapy programs in all regions of the U.S. responded to a validated survey. The majority (82%, <em>n</em> = 33) reported meeting Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) standards related to play, notwithstanding pediatric occupational therapy practitioners’ reports of a lack of education about the occupation of play. Play assessments and intervention methods taught, approaches to teaching play assessment and intervention, and the extent of teaching the assessments and intervention approaches are described. These results suggest that a review of the ACOTE standards and play content in occupational therapy curricula is needed.
ISSN:2573-1378