leadership, policy, and implementation
Approaches to Robust Integration of Assistive Technology Content into Professional Occupational Therapy Programs
Summary: Though instruction on assistive technology (AT) has been required in professional occupational therapy education pro- grams for decades, overwhelmingly practitioners report feeling underprepared for service provision in this area. This article explores benefits and challenges of various approaches to curriculum design to support practitioner success. It highlights the hybrid approach of the Entry-Level OTD Program at Methodist University that incorporates AT learning activities through- out a variety of courses, in addition to a stand-alone course in AT.
edge and skills is through intentional curriculum design at the professional program level to help prepare new graduates for the clinical service provision of this portion of the occupational therapy scope of practice. Occupational therapy (OT) is one of many professions which addresses assistive technology within its scope of practice. OTPs work to enable participation of individuals or populations through the therapeutic use of everyday occupations, (AOTA, 2010; AOTA, 2015). Intervention approaches intentional modifi- cation and/or adaptation of activities to enhance participation, frequently through the use of assistive technology, (Cook, Pol- gar, & Encarnação, 2020; WFOT, 2019). The Occupational Ther- apy Practice Framework-4 provides guidance about the scope and execution of occupational therapy, (AOTA, 2020). This framework encourages practitioners to both consider AT as part of the client’s environmental context, and to use assistive technology as an intervention, (AOTA, 2020). The profession’s unique contribution to assistive technology service provision
The provision of assistive technology (AT) services is a vital component of everyday practice for the occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) across practice settings. However, research over the past few decades has indicated that overwhelmingly, OTPs feel they are underprepared to provide services in this specialized area of evaluation and intervention, (Gitlow & San- ford, 2003; Kanny & Anson, 1998; Long & Wolverton, 2007; Mc- Daniel & Gitlow, 2021). This is a growing, but not newly emerg- ing challenge. Since the late 1900s, research has indicated that this knowledge and skills gap exists for OTPs providing AT ser- vices in all areas of practice, (Kanny & Anson, 1998). Barriers to competency and confidence in the area of AT service provision includes the rapid growth of technology, few content experts and specialists in the field, and the perception of a lack of clini- cian education required for practice in this area, (Gitlow & San- ford, 2003; McDaniel & Gitlow, 2021; Sarsak et al., 2023). Though continuing education content is available for OTPs in this area of practice, one approach to addressing these gaps in knowl-
ANNABETH KNIGHT OTD, OTR/L, ATP, is an occupational therapist, assistive technology professional, and assistant professor at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She has over 12 years of clinical experience in pediatric occupational therapy across a variety of settings, working primarily with medically complex children who benefit highly from assistive technology service provision. Annabeth earned her post-professional doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University, and her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Scranton. In her current role, Annabeth teaches assistive technology coursework in the Methodist University OTD Program. She also mentors student research in the area of assistive technology, and serves as the Doctoral Capstone Coordinator. Since 2014, Annabeth has presented at national and international conferences on various topics in assistive technology service provision.
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