ABSTRACT

Objective : The aims of the present study were to investigate the job characteristics for Korean school based occupational therapist, and to organize their job areas by surveying the criticality of duty and frequency of tasks. Methods : We established the job scope of school based occupational therapist through the advice of the Expert Group, created a questionnaire. Survey was conducted for the job characteristics and the validity of school based occupational therapists group (39 people) from November 2012 to March 2015. The questionnaire was consisted of two domains: Job characteristics (working status, a diagnostic classification, a service provision method and form of practical therapeutic support), and practice analysis (criticality, frequency of tasks, priorities). It was extracted an essential tasks which was more than average on criticality and frequency of tasks. Results : The circuit special class and the one to one individual therapy was the highest practical therapeutic support method and form. Common diagnoses of clients were cerebral palsy, intellectual disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. In the job analysis, the highest criticality and frequency of task was ‘the plan for school based occupational therapy’ on duty, and ‘the improvement of upper extremity function’ on task. The 22 essential tasks were extracted of entire 43 tasks. Conclusion : Results of this study will be the basis to organize the job area of the school based occupational therapist. Refresher training and regular education (school) for occupational therapist should be made central to the essential tasks extracted.