ABSTRACT

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the rehabilitation therapy conditions for children with disabilities, and to gather the opinions of occupational therapists on the improvements needed in rehabilitation systems in a clinical setting. Methods : For a survey, 4,000 copies of a structured questionnaire were delivered to the staff members of community rehabilitation center. Out of the 966 copies received back, we analyzed 162 copies responded by occupational therapists. Results : The occupational therapists treat on average 7.1 children daily. The treatment times are 37 minutes per session, 4 times a week on average. The most impending matter appears to be a shortage of therapists for rehabilitation services. As the first option to solve this problem, they selected improved work conditions for occupational therapists. To promote the specialty of rehabilitation therapy providers, there needs to be an increase in the number of specialized subjects that they should take during their coursework, and a team approach is suitable for subject selection for a rehabilitation service. Furthermore, 87.5% of the occupational therapists who responded agreed that specialized providers in rehabilitation therapy should possess at least a three-year college degree. Most of them had the opinion that a modification of the legal system may be the most important choice to improve rehabilitation therapy services for children with disabilities, and to maintain a consistent pattern in providing such services, the Minister of Health and Welfare should have jurisdiction over a public support system. Conclusion : This study provided valuable information regarding the real state of rehabilitation services for children with disabilities in a clinical setting, and reflected the opinions of occupational therapists on the improvements necessary for a rehabilitation service. These findings may be helpful in developing future studies for generating a legal system related to occupational therapy, and a delivery system for better rehabilitation services.