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This paper describes a reciprocal service-learning project between Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) students and a Head Start program on the Texas-Mexico border. Education of occupational therapy students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio includes local community learning experiences. However, this project challenged the students and faculty to step outside of and beyond their boundaries to address the unique needs of children in Del Rio, Texas. In a reciprocal service-learning situation, students provided developmental screenings, presentations, and classroom suggestions to the Head Start staff. In turn, the Head Start staff reciprocated by providing presentations and classroom cultural inclusion experiences to the students. The project outcomes suggest that collaborative participation can give students and their community partners broader frameworks from which to view enablement and a sense of mutual responsibility. From this starting point students can he encouraged to explore issues of social inclusion and occupational justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the textual analysis of the responses of 373 occupational therapists working in school systems across the United States of America who responded to the question 'List any obstacles to providing occupational therapy services to school aged students with severe emotional disturbance' on a recent survey. The purpose of the analysis is to describe some of the barriers and solutions to the provision of occupational therapy services to school aged students with emotional disturbance. The 754 responses received were categorized into themes. The themes which emerged from the occupational therapists' responses were: (1) role confusion; (2) limited knowledge base; (3) identification and provision of occupational therapy services; (4) administrative factors; (5) lack of efficient teaming; (6) classroom factors; (7) the behaviors of the student with emotional disturbance; and (8) parental factors. The respondents' suggestions for improving the provision of occupational therapy services to this population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]