A survey of paediatric occupational therapists in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the work of paediatric occupational therapists in the UK, and to compare the results with similar surveys carried out in the US, Australia and Canada. A postal questionnaire survey was sent to 212 members of the National Association of Paediatric Occupational Therapists. Questions were asked about a wide range of issues pertinent to paediatric practice. The results showed that data collected in the UK are similar to those from the three other countries - for example, in the unique areas of work, such as assessment for adaptive equipment, training in activities of daily living and fine motor skills training, and that there is also some overlap with other disciplines. The study had some limitations in terms of respondents accessed and scope of questions asked. It highlighted a number of areas for further research, one being to identify what undergraduate teaching needs to be made available to students who want to work with children. Several conclusions are drawn, principally, that children's occupational therapists tend to remain in the specialization for several years and make good use of postgraduate courses to enhance their practice.