特別支援学校で働く作業療法士の実態調査

A fact-finding survey of occupational therapists working in schools for children with special needs

要旨：近年，特別支援学校ではリハビリテーション専門職の活用が活発化しているが，その活用は各自治体によって異なっている．全国的には外部専門家の活用が一般的ではあるが，特別支援学校で常勤職員として働くOTも少数ながら存在しており，勤務形態や業務内容も異なっていると思われる．本研究では，特別支援学校で働くOTの実態を明らかにすることを目的に，34名の特別支援学校に関わるOTにインタビュー調査を実施した．外部専門家はそれぞれの専門性を活かしてOTとしての業務を中心に行っていたが，常勤で働くOTは，教員としての業務も担いながらOTとしての役割も果たしていることが明らかとなった．

　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.