Providing individualized quality education services to students with special needs is an essential goal of every educational institution. With the rise of online charter schools, the challenge of delivering appropriate special education services, including occupational therapy, has become more prominent. The research article "School-Based Telerehabilitation in Occupational Therapy: Using Telerehabilitation Technologies to Promote Improvements in Student Performance" offers valuable insights into how telerehabilitation can effectively support students in a virtual education environment.
Understanding the Research
The study focused on children aged 6 to 11 who attended an online charter school and faced difficulties with fine motor and/or visual motor skills, impacting their handwriting success. Each participant underwent a virtual evaluation followed by six 30-minute intervention sessions. The Print Tool™ Assessment was utilized to measure progress, and satisfaction surveys were administered to gauge participant satisfaction.
Key Findings
The outcomes of the study were promising:
- Most students showed improvements in handwriting performance.
- High satisfaction rates were reported by both students and their learning coaches.
- Telerehabilitation proved to be a convenient and effective method for delivering occupational therapy services.
Practical Applications for Practitioners
Based on the findings, practitioners can enhance their skills and improve student outcomes by implementing the following strategies:
- Use interactive and client-centered activities to make sessions engaging and meaningful.
- Incorporate a combination of intervention approaches, such as biomechanical, kinesthetic, and multisensory methods.
- Provide consultation to learning coaches and caregivers to ensure follow-through at home.
- Utilize tools and technologies that facilitate virtual assessments and interventions, such as The Print Tool™ and whiteboard tools.
Encouraging Further Research
While the initial results are encouraging, further research is needed to validate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation in school-based settings. Practitioners are encouraged to document their experiences, conduct surveys, and participate in randomized controlled trials to contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting telerehabilitation.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: School-Based Telerehabilitation in Occupational Therapy: Using Telerehabilitation Technologies to Promote Improvements in Student Performance.
