This study was carried out to figure out the general traits of occupational therapists and their perception level about self-determination of children with mental retardation. The significance of this study lies in raising the perception of the childr...
This study was carried out to figure out the general traits of occupational therapists and their perception level about self-determination of children with mental retardation. The significance of this study lies in raising the perception of the children with mental retardation on how self -determination is important and drawing out basic data to apply effective self determination. Following are the results of the evaluated perception of occupational therapists about self-determination.
First, ‘the number of occupational therapists who had ever heard’ about self-determination totaled 67(63.2%), and the ways they came to know that appeared to be 17(25.4%) ‘for the case known by associate occupational therapists’, 12(17.9%) by ‘academic journal, 18(26.8%) by ’university or graduate school class’, 50(47.2%) of ‘them had experiences of guiding self-determination’, and 79(74.5%) of ‘them had idea that self-determination ability is helpful for occupation performance’, and 30(53.6%) of ‘them answered to the asking of not using self-determination’ as ‘it’s insufficient information, as their ignorance of it‘s contents‘.
Second, the experience if they heard about self-determination and taught it in variable factors showed statistically significant differences(p< .05).
Third, the occupational therapists' perception about the self-determination in the variable factors of the children with mental retardation showed statistically significant differences according to their recognition level(p< .05).
Fourth, the correlation between the general traits and perception level about the self-determination of occupational therapists showed statistically considerable differences under the condition they heard about the term of self-determination(p<. 05). The correlation of the perception about self-determination depending on the traits of the children with mental retardation showed statistically considerable differences according to their recognition level(p< .05), and the importance of work performance showed statistically considerable negative correlation(p< .05).
The result of this study showed that the occupational therapists who had more information about self-determination of children with mental retardation, had higher perception about it. In cognition level, the children with severe mental retardation showed lower level of self-determination. Accordingly, a study process available for giving self-determination related information to the occupational therapists is necessary to increase their perception level of it, and the self-determination program which would reflect the strong points of the children with mental retardation. should be developed and applied to therapies.