In the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago the full range of physical, mental, psychological, and socially derived problems of occupational engagement exist. Occupational therapy is often a part of the health care team to address these challenges; however, the profession is at an emergent stage in the country. This paper describes a process used for the development of an indigenous entry-level master's degree program in occupational therapy. The process was also supported and enhanced by the collaborative relationships among key stakeholders, including global partners. A qualitative design process was used to analyze the health care needs, barriers, and strategies that impact the sustainability of the proposed program. This included 47 survey respondents, 10 semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. The findings led to the development of curricular threads that informed the curricular framework of the program. The curricular framework will safeguard the sustainability of the program and the clinical relevance of its content and methods relative to the community the graduates will serve. Systematic review of curricular design and program outcomes is needed to enhance the intended learning experience of the occupational therapy students.

Ethnographic methods were used to examine how an experienced occupational therapist assesses and treats a pediatric patient within a relatively long-term clinical relationship. Treatment goals for this preverbal child with Hirschsprung disease, who began occupational therapy at 22 months of age, included (a) introduction of oral feeding to reduce dependence on total parenteral nutrition through intravenous feeding and (b) facilitation of exploratory play, which had been developmentally delayed during extensive periods of immobilization during medical care. This article shows how the meaning of therapeutic activities changes for the patient over time, as the occupational therapist builds trust through affect attunement, validates his or her empathic interpretations, and develops common understandings with the patient's family and others within the social and cultural contexts of chronic care.

This study's purpose was to describe the occupational needs and goals of women residing in a domestic violence shelter and their self-perceived changes in satisfaction and occupational performance. Using a retrospective design, data from 68 occupational therapy evaluations from two domestic violence shelter settings were examined. Data were analyzed by coding problem areas and occupational goals and calculating frequencies for these variables. Where data were available, we also analyzed changes in pre- and postscores for self-perceived satisfaction and occupational performance (n = 25). The most common problem areas were leisure, education, work, child rearing, and health management. The most common goals were in the areas of education, work, health management, child rearing, and home management. Retrospective pre- and postchange scores in performance and satisfaction for 25 women were statistically significant. Findings provide direction for, and highlight the importance of occupational therapy services within domestic violence shelters as women regain their life skills.

Date Presented 4/17/2015 This retrospective study explored the motor development of 15 children younger than age 5 yr who had been exposed to maltreatment. Results from the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales–Second Edition (PDMS–2). Results indicated 93% (n = 14) improvement in the area of grasping and 80% (n = 12) improvement in visual–motor integration after occupational therapy intervention.