Be Heard-We're Listening: Emerging Issues and Potential Solutions From the Voices of BIPOC Occupational Therapy Students, Practitioners, and Educators.

A confluence of factors during 2020 placed needed attention on the social and structural determinants of health, systemic racism, and social injustice. Institutions across the country are taking a hard look at themselves to evaluate how they are complicit in perpetuating these problems and what role they have in dismantling them. In this article, we discuss the influence of systemic racism on the profession of occupational therapy, noting that the profession lacks a clear plan, informed by stakeholders, on how to address it. The American Occupational Therapy Association hosted a series of listening sessions titled "Be Heard-We're Listening" in June and July 2020 to learn about the experiences of occupational therapy students, practitioners, and educators who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The listening session participants provided ideas for change and recommendations that establish a call to action for persons, groups, and populations.

An Interprofessional Education Simulation Workshop: Health Professions Learning Palliative Care Communication.

BACKGROUND: Patients with life-limiting illnesses need health professionals who can communicate with each other, as well as with patients and family members. Nursing faculty teach these skills in a variety of formats and, increasingly, via simulation experiences. METHOD: This pilot study aimed to compare a group of interprofessional health professions students' (N = 73) self-reported level of confidence in communication, explore behavior change and professional identity, and identify areas for future interprofessional education. Students participated in a simulated team meeting with a standardized family member of an older adult patient hospitalized with an acute aspiration pneumonia and a chronic, progressive illness. RESULTS: Postworkshop, students rated themselves as significantly more confident in interprofessional and palliative care communication (p ⩽ .001) than preworkshop, identified important areas of behavior change and professional identity, and provided faculty with ideas for future simulation workshops. CONCLUSION: Additional research is needed regarding longitudinal curricular efforts and direct patient care outcomes. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(8):493-497.].

Exploration of the Effects of Telerehabilitation in a School-Based Setting for At-Risk Youth.

This study explored the efficacy and feasibility of a motion-capture program that may be utilized for telerehabilitation purposes. Two children attending a school for at-risk children received 20 sessions of Timocco, with sessions lasting for 30 minutes, under the guidance of research assistants. The researchers employed a mixed methods design to analyze quantitative data and qualitative interviews. Both children improved their fine and gross motor coordination, as measured on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Short Form. To explore feasibly, qualitative verbal reports of the child participants and research assistants were obtained. The children and research assistants reported positive experiences with the utilization of this platform. A collaborative, consultative telerehabilitation model may be a promising delivery mode of services for improving motor skills in children, with frequent input from the child, aide or teacher, and clinician. Further exploration is needed for telerehabilitative service delivery for at-risk children.

Detection and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder by Occupational Therapy Practitioners: Addressing Racial Disparity in Diagnosis.

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, racial disparities remain in age of diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Therefore, occupational therapy practitioners should examine cultural perceptions related to disparities in ASD diagnosis. This article investigates the role that practitioners may play in this disparity by asking, "Are occupational therapy practitioners contributing to the late diagnosis of children with ASD who are members of particular racial or ethnic groups?" Correlations among practitioners' detection of symptoms, parents' perceptions, and evaluator influences are investigated. By examining these factors, practitioners may gain better insight into these disparities and therefore provide more effective advocacy regarding early diagnosis and treatment access.

Family-centered occupational therapy and telerehabilitation for children with autism spectrum disorders.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this pilot project was to explore the use of telerehabilitation for collaborative occupational therapy sessions with parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim was to improve carryover of therapeutic strategies by parents to address children's sensory modulation in their natural environments. Four families participated in clinic-based sessions with the therapist followed by online sessions for six weeks. Data consisted of family schedules, sensory diets, archived webcam sessions, and Sensory Processing Measure Home Form scores before and after initiation of the telerehabilitation sessions. Results demonstrated the potential for using telerehabilitation as a tool to provide collaborative occupational therapy in order to improve carryover of home programs for children with ASD by providing opportunities for parents to ask questions, review sensory techniques, and understand the therapist's clinical reasoning.