Children with all types of special needs
The daily logs completed by occupational therapists (OTs) and the OT focus groups demonstrated that the P4C OTs had the capacity to see children with all types of special needs and were, in fact, doing so. As reported in the Findings section, at least 30% of the children receiving the P4C service had issues other than motor challenges that were affecting their daily participation in school. Key stakeholder interviews also showed that many thought this model could be used by other rehabilitation professionals in schools.
I think this model could be rolled out in other areas where you could look at…how do you better manage the volume of children that are referred to school health. And is this a model that actually will meet their needs — not just for the DCD population, but beyond that.
— Community Care Access Centre
…say if I’m in the JK SK classroom and there are kids that we are noticing as having difficulties. They aren’t kids who necessarily have special needs — maybe they are just delayed. So it is showing other people…we’re not just seeing kids with identified special needs, we are seeing all the kids.
— occupational therapist
Could this model actually…evolve into a model for physiotherapy service delivery as well, you know? I think there is the possibility of transitioning to other disciplines.
— Community Care Access Centre
I think it’s a model we could probably use for Speech…
— Community Care Access Centre
The OTs who delivered the P4C service in the demonstration project also perceived that the P4C model would be beneficial to all children. Several OTs noted that the model “will work for not only kids who have coordination difficulties, but for kids in general” and that “It’s for anyone who really needs assistance” (Campbell, Missiuna, Rivard & Pollock, 2012, p.55).
Use of the P4C model with children with different types of special needs, and with other rehabilitation professionals, is worthy of further consideration and future study. Further discussion of the types of health and developmental conditions that can be identified at different points in a child’s life is reviewed in the Policy Implications section.