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Allied health new graduates are entering private practice in increasing numbers despite limited opportunity to experience this setting during training. Exploring strategies used to host students may provide insight into how students can be integrated into practice whilst minimizing disruption to staff, clients, and service delivery. This study aimed to explore actual and potential strategies to integrate students into private practice organizations from the perspective of practices who currently, have previously, and who have never hosted allied health students (n=26) and university clinical education coordinators (n=13). Four themes were generated that encompassed key strategies in hosting allied health students. Allied health private practices and clinical placement coordinators use a range of strategies to integrate students, centering on supporting involvement in client care and steps to minimize disruption to service delivery. Consideration of such strategies may provide avenues for future practice-university partnerships, thereby increasing placement capacity in this sector.

Introduction: Increasingly, autistic adolescents and adults are accessing occupational therapy. However, limited evidence exists on the type of supports that are important to them. Examining the patterns of supports valued by autistic adolescents and adults will inform the design of occupational therapy services. Therefore, this study aimed to identify what supports autistic adolescents and adults believed to be the most important. Methods: This study involved two anonymous online surveys. Survey one involved 54 items and was distributed to caregivers of autistic adolescents and/or adults. Survey two included 41 items and was distributed to self‐reporting autistic adults. Surveys sought closed and open‐ended responses about the support needs of autistic individuals living in Australia. Quantitative data were analysed as counts and frequencies of responses, whereas short‐answer responses were analysed through content analysis. Community and consumer involvement: There was no consumer or community involvement in the completion of this project. Results: A total of 68 caregivers of autistic adolescents or adults and 59 self‐reporting adults completed the survey resulting in 127 responses. Quantitative data from both autistic adolescents' and adults' closed‐answer responses showed that the highest support needs were for supporting participation in employment and supporting health and wellbeing. Content analysis of open‐ended responses, performed separately for each participant group, revealed six categories: employment, promoting independence, supporting positive social and communication experiences, supporting health and wellbeing, caregiver support, and promoting autism acceptance. Conclusion: Results highlight that autistic individuals and their caregivers have a diverse range of priorities, all of which align with the scope of occupational therapy practice. Differences between the priorities of autistic individuals and their caregivers highlight the importance of therapists providing person and family‐centred approaches tailored towards both the autistic person's and their caregiver's needs. Plain language summary: Increasingly, autistic adolescents and adults are accessing occupational therapy services. However, limited information exists regarding the type of supports that are important to them. Understanding what supports are valued by autistic adolescents and adults will support occupational therapists deliver effective and individualised services. Therefore, this study aimed to identify what supports autistic adolescents and adults believed to be the most important to them. This study involved two anonymous online surveys. Survey one was completed by caregivers of autistic adolescents and/or adults. Survey two was completed by self‐reporting autistic adults. Surveys included both open‐ended and closed‐answer responses to better understand the support needs of autistic individuals living in Australia. A total of 68 caregivers of autistic adolescents or adults and 59 self‐reporting adults completed the survey resulting in 127 responses. Closed‐answer response questions from both the caregivers and self‐reporting autistic adolescents and adults showed that the highest support needs were for supporting participation in employment and supporting health and wellbeing. Open‐ended response questions revealed six main priorities including, employment, promoting independence, supporting positive social and communication experiences, supporting health and wellbeing, caregiver support, and promoting autism acceptance. This study found that autistic individuals and their caregivers have a diverse range of priorities, all of which align with the scope of occupational therapy. Further, participant responses highlight the importance of therapists providing person and family‐centred approaches tailored towards both the autistic person's and their caregiver's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature regarding simulation for learning interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) indicates a need to include a range of health professions and to focus on students' development of team communication and conflict resolution skills in day-to-day healthcare delivery. This study evaluated the impact of interprofessional simulation for occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, and nursing students on interprofessional collaboration competencies, specifically collaborative communication and conflict resolution during day-to-day interactions, and their intention for IPCP during placement. A series of simulations featuring the potential for interprofessional conflict and involving explicit coaching on communication and conflict resolution were conducted. A single cohort pre-test post-test design included the Students' Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education Revised (SPICE-R), the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS), and an open response survey question on future intended practice. A total of 237 students participated in the simulation experience. Overall scores and scores on all IPCP competencies in the ICASS (n = 193) and SPICE-R (n = 226) improved for all professions post-simulation. The mean score of the ICCAS increased for 98% of the respondents and similarly the mean score of the SPICE-R increased for 71% of the respondents. Open-ended responses indicated students' intentions to pursue self-leadership in IPCP. Students who participated in an interprofessional simulation reported perceived improvements in IPCP competencies and were encouraged to initiate IPCP when on placement in the practice setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environments are important to children's participation, but little is known about which environmental factors restrict their participation, particularly in children with moderate to severe developmental disability. Method: Parents of 64 children attending special schools completed the Environmental Restriction Questionnaire (ERQ). Two researchers classified the item contents of the ERQ using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health -- Children and Youth (ICF-CY) to provide uniform interpretation. Results: At home, the environmental restrictions related to Products and technology within the ICF-CY. The environmental restrictions in the community involved 3 areas: Products and technology, Support and relationships, and Services, systems, and policies. The environmental restrictions on children's educational participation originated from Support and relationships and Attitudes of the parents. Conclusions: The findings offer insights into the critical environmental restrictions on the participation of children with developmental disability. Resources and support that target modifiable environmental factors may help to promote children's participation.

Children with developmental disabilities are at risk for limited participation in everyday activities. This study investigated factors that hindered or facilitated participation in 58 children with moderate-to-severe developmental disabilities who attended special schools. The parents completed surveys on their children's participation, developmental profile, environmental restrictions, parental self-efficacy and family demographics. Multiple regression analyses indicated that four variables were identified as strong predictors of specific children's participation and, overall, explained a small-to-moderate magnitude of variance. Social-emotional ability was associated positively with all aspects of children's participation (including diversity, intensity and enjoyment). Children with better communication and those who had only one sibling engaged in a higher number of activities and did so more frequently. The children of parents with higher self-efficacy enjoyed themselves more during participation. The findings provide preliminary information that could be useful for families and health care professionals to facilitate participation of children with moderate-to-severe developmental disabilities.

Research focused on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is often deficit‐focused, limiting a holistic understanding of individuals' support needs. Families of adolescents with FASD also struggle to access appropriate services. Using semi‐structured interviews, the current study explored the perspectives of seven caregivers of adolescents with FASD in Australia. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed that anxiety was perceived as a main barrier to participation for adolescents; however, incorporating adolescents' strengths facilitated participation. Additionally, caregivers described that professionals did not effectively collaborate and lacked understanding of FASD. Considering these findings, recommendations to optimise outcomes for adolescents with FASD and their families are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study trialed a team-based assistive technology assessment and planning process for children with multiple disabilities and their educational teams, in order to inform a wider study using explanatory case study methodology. Fourteen students and their educational teams participated in the process, which incorporated use of the Lifespace Access Profile and Lifespace Access Profile (Upper Extension), together with a video procedure developed to determine size and number of assistive technology targets that students could use. Data generated included pre- and postpilot questionnaires completed by team members, pre- and postpilot technology goals developed by each team, and field notes. Thematic analysis of the data indicated that the team-based process had a number of benefits for teams, including development of more specific and achievable technology goals; increased knowledge, skills, and confidence of team members; more effective teamwork to assist decision-making; and better coordination of technology use between home and school. Further research is required to objectively measure direct student outcomes and to determine the impact of team dynamics.

A clinical experience program provided 29 rural Australian allied health professionals with experience in pediatric clinical areas and opportunities to share clinical knowledge and develop networks with metropolitan peers. Questionnaires and focus groups indicated that networking, clinical skills, knowledge, confidence, and awareness of rural service provision were enhanced. The clinical consultant was found to be critical to program success. (TD)

Effective interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) requires a new way of working characterized by distributed leadership skills, shared decision-making, and the adoption of uniprofessional and interprofessional identities. Health professional educators are tasked with preparing clinicians for IPCP through interprofessional education (IPE). Numerous IPE teaching interventions have been developed, ranging in length from hours to semesters, designed to introduce students to interprofessional ways of working – usually evaluated in terms of student satisfaction, perceptions of other disciplines and conceptual knowledge. However, working interprofessionally also requires integrating dispositional knowledge into one's emerging interprofessional habits and values. In this paper, we describe a learning activity, inspired by a new video-reflexive methodology, designed to foster dispositional learning of interprofessional skills using a video-based assessment tool: the Video Observation Tool for Interprofessional Skills (VOTIS). Based on focus group and interview data, we suggest the activity's usefulness in fostering conceptual, procedural and dispositional knowledge, as well as reflexive feedback literacy. Overall, our qualitative evaluation of the VOTIS suggests the merits of drawing on video-reflexive methodology and pedagogical theory to re-imagine IPE as a dynamic process, requiring the development of interprofessional skills that must be appropriated into students' emerging (inter)professional identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the development and evaluation of the video Observation Tool for Interprofessional Skills (VOTIS). We describe the development of an authentic interprofessional assessment tool that incorporates video reflection and allows formative and summative assessment of individual learners' interprofessional skills within an authentic interprofessional context. We then investigate its validity and reliability. The VOTIS was developed using a modified Delphi technique. The tool was piloted with 61 students and 11 clinical educators who completed the VOTIS following team meetings where students interacted about their interprofessional clinical work. The following were calculated: internal consistency; students' proficiency levels; inter-rater reliability between students and clinical educators; and inter-rater reliability between clinical educators and an independent rater. Results indicate that the VOTIS has acceptable internal consistency and moderate reliability and has value in evaluating students' interprofessional skills. Study outcomes highlight the need for more explicit wording of tool content and instructions and further clinical educator training to increase the utility and reliability of the VOTIS as a learning and assessment tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to describe how occupational therapists working in acute care settings in Australia assess cognitive function in patients with TBI, the influences on assessment choice, and clinician perceptions of performance-based assessment. An online survey was completed by 81 occupational therapists. The most common method of cognitive assessment was reported as non-standardized observation of functional tasks (94.7%), followed by carer-report / self-report (93%). Despite their being positive perceptions of performance-based assessment there was limited use in practice. Assessment use was impacted by practical and organizational constraints including access to assessment resources, time and the built environment in acute care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]