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This article is intended to serve as an introduction to the treatment of patients from different cultures. Particular attention is given to practical and psychological problems and to the need to develop awareness of transcultural factors relevant to occupational therapy practice.

In response to the developments in technology relevant to occupational therapy and the provision by the Department of Trade and Industry of microcomputers for evaluation, it was decided that current use should be investigated in order to facilitate planning for student training. A localized study, centred in south-eastem Scotland, was ca"ied out by Clephane Hume and Mora Reid in November last year, when the first DTI computers had been placed in Scotland. This report discusses the factors hindering development, and lists the present and potential applications of microcomputers as shown by the study. It concludes that the therapist of the future must be aware of the therapeutic potential of the microcomputer. 175During the past decade occupational therapists have become increasingly aware of the range of electronic aids and equipment available, particularly in relation to patients with mobility or communication problems. Power-assisted equipment for the severely handicapped is now in general use, and the developments in technology in its widest sense have forced the profession into considering the therapeutic potential of microcomputers in addition to, for example, videos and toys. (The recently published Occupational Therapists' Reference Book evidenced acceptance of the need to be informed.)Government provision of microcomputers for evaluation by occupational therapists has led to rapid developments in particular departments and some enthusiastic pioneers are discovering vast potential use in wide-ranging areas of treatment. FACfORS HINDERING DEVELOPMENTDevelopment is hindered by various factors:

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