- Title
- Ensuring correct fit and sustainability of assistive technology in schools in a rehabilitation model of care
- Creator
- Lovell, Gai
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Masters Research - Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
- Description
- Assistive technology (AT) to support optimal participation within the school setting is often recommended as part of the occupational therapy process. Numerous frameworks are available to assist in decision making and guiding AT recommendations but AT recommendations are often not implemented or sustained within the child’s school context. Objectives: I sought to identify ‘key ingredients’ supporting recommendation, implementation and sustainability of AT in schools to ensure that child academic goals are met. Methods: This mixed-methods study utilised surveys and semi-structured interviews, engaging clinicians and education staff. Survey data was analysed descriptively and framework analysis was used with the qualitative data. Survey participants included clinicians (n = 22) and educators (n = 16). Follow-up interviews were conducted with 8 clinicians and 3 education staff. Results: Overall, clinicians and educators indicated that site-specific guiding frameworks could support successful AT implementation and use. Nonetheless, we found variation in awareness of available frameworks, and limited use of framework structures. Having a flexible, guiding framework to follow when considering AT in schools was the overarching theme that was identified from my study. Consistent sub themes emerged from interviews defining the ‘key ingredients’ for success of AT in schools: Maintaining a Child focus, giving consideration to the multiple features of School Context, and educator/clinician Collaboration. Conclusion:Abandonment of AT in the schools is costly and fails to support child academic success. Best practice to support success of AT recommendation, implementation, and sustainability requires a guiding framework. Key framework ingredients include child focus, school context, and collaboration. Framework structure depends on organisation of systems and processes within individual schools.
- Subject
- assistive technology; schools; therapy; rehabilitation; participation; frameworks; models
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1491345
- Identifier
- uon:53160
- Rights
- Copyright 2023 Gai Lovell
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
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| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 868 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |