title: Occupational therapy practitioners' perceptions of important competencies for handwriting evaluation and intervention in school-aged children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary purpose of this study was to identify the practitioner competencies that occupational therapists perceive as important for handwriting evaluation and intervention in school-aged children. A secondary purpose was to compare the practitioner perceptions of those in school-based practice with those from other primary practice settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified random sample of 376 occupational therapists recruited from a national professional organization database participated by completing a survey instrument containing 80 competency items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A majority of the 80 practitioner competency items were perceived to be of high importance to the respondent groups. A significance difference in perception when comparing the school-based practitioners to all other practitioners was revealed in only 3-12 competency summary categories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practitioner competency survey items were perceived to be of high importance to the participants. School-based practitioner perceptions of competency were, for the most part, mainly similar to those in other primary practice settings.
authors: Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Related Professions, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA. pgiroux@umc.edu
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Giroux
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Woodall
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Weber
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011361:Professional Competence; D012572:School Health Services