2023 Volume 42 Issue 2 Pages 176-184
Recently, many schools for children with special needs in Japan are collaborating with PTs, OTs, and STs to brush up teachers’ expertise and to meet the needs of each child. Though many OTs are working in schools for children with special needs, there is a lack of standardization, and specifics of employment and the contents of their business depend on local government policies. This study aimed to discover the actual state of OT in schools for children with special needs in Japan. 34 OTs working in schools for children with special needs （18 of them were full-time staffs and 16 of them were external resources） were approached and interviewed about their in-school activities. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. The interview data suggest that OTs working in schools for children with special needs are maximizing their specialization and collaborating with teachers to support the children’s school life. The interview data also indicate that there is a difference between the full-time workers and the external resources. Full-time workers are working both as an OT and as a teacher, and external workers are working as OTs in each school.
