Occupational therapy in Austrian schools: promoting equal opportunities and participation for all children
Vienna/Hirschwang an der Rax (OTS) – Ergotherapie Austria was at the 4th PRAEVENIRE summit from 25-26. June was there and discussed with us. One of the central messages of Uni’s keynote “Strengthening health literacy”. Prof. Dr. mult. Eckhard Nagel on June 25th said: The health literacy of children and young people must be strengthened so that they are empowered to take care of their own health. Occupational therapists can already use targeted measures to promote motor, cognitive and social skills in primary schools to ensure that children of different levels of development and needs can optimally participate in everyday school life.
Quaternary prevention in the context of child and adolescent health
As part of quaternary prevention, which serves to identify and avoid unnecessary medical measures, medicalization and overuse, Nagel mentions the prescription of the drug Ritalin®. The brand name refers to a prescription medication that is used, among other things, for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In Germany, according to the keynote speaker, around 20% of children receive Ritalin®. Not because they have a corresponding medical need and other therapeutic measures are not sufficient, but because their behavior means they are considered “behavioral problems” in everyday school life. A doctor present in the audience at the keynote also confirms this number for Austria. There is an urgent need for other solutions for the affected children, parents, caregivers and educators. One way to provide support in everyday school life can be, for example, school-based occupational therapy.
School-based occupational therapy
The demands on educational staff are enormous these days and usually extend far beyond the implementation of the curriculum. Addressing each child individually with their learning difficulties, social and language problems or motor deficits while keeping the class group in mind is clearly a challenge that hardly any individual can cope with. In addition, the recognition of the need for equal opportunities and participation for all children in order to grow up healthy is finally becoming more important in our society. „School-based occupational therapy is a concept for collaboration between educators and occupational therapists to ensure that all students can actively participate in everyday school life
“explains Marion Hackl, President of Ergotherapie Austria and gives an insight: „Occupational therapy interventions do not relate to school learning content or didactics. The aim of our measures is to ensure that as many students as possible benefit from this, for example by jointly adapting classrooms, adapting learning materials or developing strategies for changing clothes before and after physical education lessons. This ensures that no child is left behind and everyone has the opportunity to develop their full potential.
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Ergotherapie Austria naturally makes its expertise available to all interested stakeholders and primary schools when it comes to implementing school-based occupational therapy. „At this point I can only once again emphasize our willingness to work together and emphasize that we support the implementation of school-based occupational therapy and are available for discussions and questions
“, Mag.a (FH) Michalea Bartaun, managing director of Ergotherapie Austria, emphasizes the position of Ergotherapie Austria.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a legally regulated health profession and deals with meaningful activities in everyday life. This means everything that we all do – do – all day long wantalso must or what is expected of us. It’s about activities from all areas of life that are important to us, make up our everyday lives and give our lives meaning. The connection between meaningful activities, health and well-being is the focus of occupational therapy.
Ergotherapie Austria
Ergotherapie Austria is the professional interest group for occupational therapists in Austria. The federal association is a non-profit organization that has set itself the task of ensuring occupational therapy care for the population in Austria, as well as professional and educational policy measures for its members. Since its founding in 1969, Ergotherapie Austria has established itself as a partner in the healthcare sector.
Questions & Contact:
Marion Hackl / m.hackl@ergotherapie.at / +43 664 4556022