Social Justice Survey Results

Statement of Commitment

AET is committed to racial and social equity and justice. As such, we are looking inward and outward at the systemic inequities that exist in our profession and in the lives of our students.

Social Justice Data

As an initial step in the exploration of diversity and systemic inequity within our organization and the profession, the Social Justice Committee of AET conducted a demographic survey of our membership.  The purpose of the survey was to deepen our understanding of the demography within our profession and the students and families that we serve. AET is using this information to inform our work as we continue with our social justice initiative projects. Currently, AET is working on the following projects:

• Continued processing of the data collected from the survey and reported here, in service of finding ways to increase diversity within the educational therapy profession
• Community service/Volunteer educational therapy program (low cost/no cost)
• Social Justice Training for educational therapists
• Participation in school to prison pipeline programs
• Study group involvement with social justice issues

Although it represents a fraction of our membership, the survey data revealed both expected and unexpected results. For example, while we are, as expected, a primarily white, female profession, we have a more diverse clientele than anticipated. In addition, slightly more than half of educational therapists who responded to the survey provide low cost/no cost options within their practices, and many of us speak a variety of different languages. Please look at the data as it is rich with information about who we are as a group and is illustrative of the great opportunity we have to make changes that will enrich and broaden diversity and equity within our profession and increase our ability to better serve a wider range of students and families.