Defining functional performance in an educational environment

The Model of Student Role Adaptation, developed to guide occupational therapy practice in the public schools, states that the demands of an educational environment affect the tasks required for a student to effectively benefit from instruction. This study examines the relationship between tasks identified by teachers as required for classroom participation and tasks addressed by occupational therapy treatment goals for evidence that therapists in public schools respond to needs created by environmental demands. A written survey consisting of school related tasks was sent to teachers and occupational therapists serving students in similar classrooms. The results indicated that occupational therapy treatment goals overall were significantly distributed among tasks designated as required by teachers. Analysis of the tasks by category, however, revealed a discrepancy. Teachers rated a high proportion of human interaction tasks as required yet occupational therapists appeared less responsive to these needs than to tasks related to motor skills.