In the 2019-2020 academic year, it was estimated that about 11% of post baccalaureate students had some form of disability (NCES, 2023). As occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs), we have a unique skill set that enables us to analyze an activity and the environment to provide a just-right challenge and reduce barriers. Let’s apply these skills to support our fieldwork students!
In a study used to determine the use, type, barriers to, and prevalence of accommodations used by occupational therapy (OT) students during fieldwork, it was found that with the sample of students diagnosed with a disability, 55.6% did not disclose their disability during the program (Ozelie et al., 2019). Many reasons for the low disclosure rate were due to fear of stigmatization and discrimination, being unaware of potential accommodations, or believing that disclosing a disability would not be beneficial to the educational experience (Ozelie et al., 2019).
Students do not have to disclose their disability to the academic program or during fieldwork. When they do, we want to have the communication, knowledge, and understanding of how to provide accommodations during their rotation. As fieldwork educators and mentors, our goal for providing accommodations for students with disabilities can be to help them prepare for OT practice, engage with them to understand their needs for a successful learning experience, and utilize our knowledge and skills to alter the task or environment to facilitate participation (Dhillon et al., 2024).
Students need to consider that classroom accommodations may not always translate to the fieldwork environment and that accommodations should still allow them to meet all of the components of the fieldwork performance evaluation (Hughes et al., 2020). Common accommodations could be extra time for documentation, quieter workspaces, more frequent breaks, or the use of adaptive equipment (Ozelie et al., 2019; Ozelie et al., 2022).
Key Steps for the Level II Fieldwork Site in Setting up Student Accommodations for Fieldwork
- Check or develop a process for fieldwork-related accommodations at the fieldwork site
- Ensure standard learning objectives are available
- Connect with the appropriate department (i.e. HR) to determine if the accommodations are considered reasonable
- Review the accommodation letter sent by the academic institution and ensure accommodations can be met
- Sign and return the accommodation letter to confirm ability to accept accommodations
- Contact the academic fieldwork coordinator (AFWC) at the academic institution if there are concerns about the accommodations
- Participate in meetings with the student and the AFWC to discuss accommodation requests
- Prepare for accommodations to be in place on the first day the student starts
- Seek legal counsel or advisement at the fieldwork site if there is a concern about the placement
(DeIuliis & Hanson, 2022)
Other general guidelines when making accommodations for students with disabilities include:
- Communicating with the AFWC and student
- Ensuring there is a written plan providing detailed information on what accommodations the student will receive
- Creating an ongoing supportive learning environment
- Fostering an environment where students feel safe and supported if they choose to disclose their disability
- Utilizing the DIALOGUE method – discuss, identify, assess, list, open, go, undertake, and encourage
(Hughes et al., 2020; Oldenburg et al., 2024; Ozelie et al., 2019)
Examples of student accommodations:
- If the student has accommodations for extra documentation time, they can stay at the site to finish documentation (depending on site policies) and have notes ready later in the same day, or by 8:00 AM the next day.
- If the student has accommodations for lifting restrictions, they can receive support from another individual to complete a transfer, or they can instruct an individual at the site how to complete the transfer.
- If the student has accommodations for time-and-a-half for reading charts/documentation, the educator can provide printed materials to read ahead of time, allow the student to check out certain assessments to review ahead of time, or the student may need to come in early/stay late to finish chart review.
- If the student has accommodations for a quiet space to work on documentation, the fieldwork site may agree to provide the student with a private space or the educator and other therapists may step out of the office during lunch or while having conversations.
(DeIuliis & Hanson, 2022)
Fieldwork is an essential component in any student’s journey. Through open communication with the student and their program and utilizing your skills, knowledge, and creativity, you can ensure that students with disabilities are receiving reasonable accommodations to ensure an immersive and successful fieldwork experience!
Written by Gianna Martello, OTS
References
DeIuliis, E. D. & Hanson, D. (Eds.). (2022). Fieldwork educator’s guide to level II fieldwork. SLACK Incorporated.
Dhillon, S. K., Moll, S. E., Stroinska, M., & Solomon, P. E. (2024). Accommodating students with disabilities: Fieldwork educators’ experiences. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, (91)1, 56-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/00084174231201703
Hughes, M. J., Mason, J., Howland, K. M., & Horton, A. (2020). Supporting occupational therapy students with disabilities during fieldwork. OT Practice, 26(1). https://www.aota.org/publications/ot-practice/ot-practice-issues/2020/fieldwork-students-disabilities
National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Fast facts: Students with disabilities. https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=60
Oldenburg, H., Green, V., Trenary, T., Rand, J. O., & Sorenson, L. (2024). A model for bridging accommodations for classroom to fieldwork. OT Practice, 29(4), 20-24. https://www.aota.org/publications/ot-practice/ot-practice-issues/2024/a-model-for-bridging-accommodations-from-classroom-to-fieldwork
Ozelie, R., Delehoy, M., Jones, S., Sykstus, E., & Weil, V. (2019). Accommodation use by individuals with disabilities in occupational therapy fieldwork. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2019.030407
Ozelie, R., Bock, J., Gervais, S., Schneider, L., & Silhavy, C. (2022). Is it reasonable? Reasonable and unreasonable accommodations for occupational therapy students in clinical settings. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1913
Image retrieved from: https://wcblind.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/12/accommodation.jpg
