Gillian Macartney
Purpose: To explore teachers’ experiences of using physiotherapy kits to support students facing gross motor challenges at school.
Methods: Eleven kindergarten to grade 4 teachers who had used a kit for two years or more responded to an on-line survey. Data were analyzed using frequency distributions and Pearson’s correlation. Open-ended responses were recorded verbatim.
Findings: Teachers were confident in their use of the kits and understood how and why to use them. Teachers agreed that the activities helped students with gross motor difficulties and could be integrated into the school day. Regular communication was important to teachers. Teachers intended to use the kits in the future but lacked the resources to make their own kit.
Conclusion: Physiotherapists providing materials kits in classrooms should consider teachers’ preferences for communication and support. Teachers need support at school to have kits made for future use.