Dear Occupational Therapist,
We invite you to participate in an important validation survey for the Substantial Equivalency Assessment System (SEAS) program, sponsored by the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO).
The SEAS program provides a centralized process for evaluating the education and competencies of internationally educated occupational therapists (IEOTs) to determine whether they are substantially equivalent to Canadian-educated occupational therapists. Successful candidates are then eligible to apply for registration or licensure with a Canadian provincial occupational therapy regulator.
ACOTRO is currently undertaking a SEAS Enhanced project which includes updating two of its assessments:
- Jurisprudence Knowledge Assessment (JKAT) – evaluates an IEOT’s knowledge of the Canadian legal, regulatory, ethical, and professional frameworks that govern occupational therapy practice.
- Competency Assessment (CA) – evaluates an IEOT’s ability to apply the knowledge, skills, judgment, and professional behaviours required for safe, ethical entry-level occupational therapy practice in Canada.
Your expertise is essential to this work.
A panel of occupational therapists currently practicing in Canada recently identified the foundational knowledge and competencies required for entry-level practice, drawing on the Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada (2021/2024). The purpose of this survey is to validate those findings with a broader group of practicing occupational therapists. In this survey, you will be asked to review either foundational knowledge statements or competencies and rate their importance to entry-level practice.
Your feedback will help ensure that the SEAS assessments accurately reflect the knowledge and competencies internationally educated occupational therapists need to demonstrate to practice at a level equivalent to an entry-level occupational therapist educated in Canada.
If you choose to participate, please use the link below (or the QR code) to begin the survey:
https://asc-canada-account.limesurvey.net/676969?lang=en
To minimize the commitment time, you will be randomly assigned to complete either the Jurisprudence Knowledge Survey or the Competency Assessment Survey. Each survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
All responses will be kept confidential and analyzed only in aggregate. Please complete the survey by August 18, 2026.
Thank you for contributing your time and expertise. Your participation will help ensure that the SEAS program remains a fair, rigorous, and evidence-based pathway for assessing internationally educated occupational therapists seeking to practice in Canada.
As a thank you for completing the survey, ACOTRO is giving out ten $50 Visa gift cards. If you would like to be entered into the draw for a gift card, please enter your email address at the end of the survey. Participation in the draw is voluntary. If you do not wish to be entered into the draw, entering your email address is not necessary.
Sincerely,
Marianne Baird, BScOT, MBA, PMP, Reg. OT (AB)
President, Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO)