School-based occupational therapy: an international perspective.
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Biomedical subjects
Naomi Weintraub
Publications and source records attributed to Naomi Weintraub.
Changing practice patterns of school-based occupational therapists in Israel.
Following the enactment of the Special Education Law in Israel in 1988, school-based occupational therapists (OTs) were expected to modify their practice patterns by, providing services within the classroom or other educational settings, increasing collaboration with other team members, and implementing indirect intervention models such as monitoring and consultation. The purpose of this study was to examine the intervention patterns of school-based OTs in Israel. The study sample included 77 school-based OTs. The survey was carried out through a questionnaire which included: (1) background information, (2) implementation and perceptions towards intervention models, and (3) team-work practices of the OTs. The findings indicated that most of the time (76.9%) OTs still implement the 'direct therapy' model, working outside the classroom and focusing on improving performance components. These findings imply that school-based OTs in Israel are still in the process of changing their practice patterns, and are mostly applying the medical model. However, due to the relatively small sample, it is important to repeat this survey using a larger sample of OTs who work in different settings and with various age groups.
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Predicting occupational performance: handwriting versus keyboarding.
PURPOSE: To determine whether there is a correlation between handwriting and keyboarding speed and accuracy, and whether handwriting and keyboarding share common underlying components. METHODS: Sixty-three typically developing 5th-grade students attended a series of 15 keyboarding lessons for a total of 5 hours. Prior to the lessons, cognitive, sensory, and motor skills related to handwriting were evaluated. Prior to and following the lessons keyboarding and handwriting accuracy and speed were also tested. Correlations were employed to examine relationships between handwriting and keyboarding skills and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the contribution of performance components to handwriting and keyboarding performance. RESULTS: Following keyboarding instruction, a significant correlation was found between handwriting and keyboarding speed, but not in accuracy of these tasks. Similarly, some of the specific tests measuring tactile and oculo-motor functions were found to be related to both handwriting and keyboarding speed, yet accuracy of these tasks did not share common underlying components. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that handwriting and keyboarding accuracy may entail different skills, suggesting that keyboarding may be a potential alternative writing tool for students with handwriting difficulties. It also appears that when students write slowly, handwriting speed should be considered prior to recommending keyboarding for these students. Additional research is required to further support these findings.
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