National survey of occupational therapy practitioners' involvement in response to intervention.
OBJECTIVE. We sought to describe occupational therapy practitioners' perceived levels of preparedness for and involvement in school-based Response to Intervention (RtI) initiatives. METHOD. We mailed a survey to a random sample of 1,000 practitioners from the American Occupational Therapy Association's Early Intervention and School Systems Special Interest Section. RESULTS. Of 295 returned surveys (29.9% response rate), 19 were excluded because of missing or incomplete data. Three-quarters of respondents (77.6%) reported that their districts implemented RtI. Two-thirds of respondents (66.3%) indicated that lack of resources limited their involvement in RtI; two-thirds (67%) said that district guidelines that describe expectations for practitioners' involvement would help increase their participation. Many respondents cited the need for continuing education and supported moving from a caseload to a workload model. CONCLUSION. Occupational therapy practitioners would benefit from specific district guidelines outlining the services they are able to provide within the context of RtI.
Susan M. Cahill, PhD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Program, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515; scahil@midwestern.edu.
Susan M
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Cahill
Beatriz McGuire, OTD, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Wheaton Public School District, Wheaton, IL.
Beatriz
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McGuire
Nathaniel D. Krumdick, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL.
Nathaniel D
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Krumdick
Michelle M. Lee, PhD, ABPP, is Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL.
Michelle M
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Lee