Date Approved

7-10-2025

Graduate Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Occupational Therapy (M.S.)

Degree Program

Occupational Science and Therapy

First Advisor

Carla Floyd-Slabaugh

Academic Year

2024/2025

Abstract

Purpose: More than 830,000 pediatric patients yearly are affected by a concussion (Rosenbaum, 2020). Occupational therapists can support a child's performance in the classroom. Yet, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the current practice of occupational therapists treating those with a concussion in the school setting. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand school-based occupational therapy practice regarding concussion-related vision disorders.

Design: Cross-sectional survey. Participants were licensed OTs practicing in the US, working in a school-based or related pediatric setting, with more than two years of pediatric experience, holding at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited program. Purposive sampling was used to recruit via professional social media platforms by providing a link to an anonymous Qualtrics survey. Three $40 Amazon gift cards were provided as incentives, funded by a university grant.

Method: A validated survey by Reiser et al. (2020) was used with the authors’ permission. Survey questions irrelevant to the school-based OT were deleted. The survey included 30 closed-ended, multiple-choice, text-entry, and matrix table questions. Data collection occurred from May 16 through August 5, 2024. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics.

Results: A total of 44 respondents completed the survey (N=44). A majority, 75%, indicated OT has a role in treating concussion-related vision symptoms. The majority evaluate using functional tasks and assessment of basic visual skills (e.g., binocularity, accommodation, saccades). Common interventions include school accommodations, ADLs, and visual perceptual tasks. Challenges include a lack of OT referrals and collaboration with other disciplines.

Discussion: Occupational therapists provide assessment and interventions to address visual dysfunction in the school setting following a concussion. There is an inconsistency in OT practice with this population.

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