CDT Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A therapist notices a student has head lice during a session. What is the most appropriate immediate response?
- Continue the session and send a note home afterward
- Stop the session, notify the school nurse or parent, and follow school exclusion policy (Correct answer)
- Apply a topical treatment from the first-aid kit
- Ignore it unless the student complains of itching
Correct answer: Stop the session, notify the school nurse or parent, and follow school exclusion policy
Suspected head lice should be reported immediately to appropriate school personnel and the parent, following the school's established exclusion protocol.
Question 2: Which type of cleaning agent is most appropriate for disinfecting hard, non-porous therapy surfaces such as desks?
- Mild soap and water alone
- EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant (Correct answer)
- Rubbing alcohol at 30% concentration
- Vinegar solution
Correct answer: EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant
EPA-registered disinfectants are validated for efficacy against pathogens and are the appropriate choice for hard non-porous surfaces in educational/clinical settings.
Question 3: A student discloses during a session that they are being physically harmed at home. The CDT is a mandated reporter. What is the required action?
- Discuss the situation with the student's teacher before reporting
- Report the disclosure to child protective services as required by law (Correct answer)
- Inform the parents of the disclosure first
- Document the disclosure and wait to see if it happens again
Correct answer: Report the disclosure to child protective services as required by law
Mandated reporters are legally required to report suspected abuse to child protective services immediately, without prior consultation with parents or waiting for additional incidents.
Question 4: Which of the following is the safest way to dispose of a broken pencil with a sharp tip in a therapy room?
- Place it directly in the open wastebasket
- Wrap the sharp end in tape or paper and place it in a puncture-resistant container (Correct answer)
- Leave it on the desk for custodial staff
- Snap the tip off with fingers before disposing
Correct answer: Wrap the sharp end in tape or paper and place it in a puncture-resistant container
Sharp objects should be wrapped or placed in puncture-resistant containers to prevent injury to the therapist, students, or custodial staff.
Question 5: In the context of a dyslexia therapy session, when is it appropriate to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer instead of soap and water?
- When hands are visibly soiled with blood or body fluids
- When hands are not visibly soiled and soap and water are not readily available (Correct answer)
- After handling chemical cleaning agents
- Before eating or preparing food
Correct answer: When hands are not visibly soiled and soap and water are not readily available
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is appropriate when hands are not visibly soiled; soap and water must be used when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with body fluids.
Question 6: A shared set of magnetic letter tiles is used across multiple students. What is the best infection control practice for these manipulatives?
- Assign each student a permanent personal set
- Wipe tiles with a disinfecting wipe between student uses and allow them to air dry (Correct answer)
- Only clean the tiles at the end of the school day
- Avoid using shared manipulatives entirely
Correct answer: Wipe tiles with a disinfecting wipe between student uses and allow them to air dry
Disinfecting shared manipulatives between each student use and allowing adequate drying time reduces the risk of pathogen transmission.
Question 7: A CDT who is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory infection should:
- Wear a mask and continue all sessions as scheduled
- Follow workplace illness policy, which may include staying home or consulting a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Notify parents and let them decide whether to proceed with the session
- Reduce session length by half to minimize exposure
Correct answer: Follow workplace illness policy, which may include staying home or consulting a supervisor
Therapists should follow their institution's illness policy, which typically requires staying home when symptomatic to protect vulnerable students.
CDT Safety & Infection Control 3
A therapist notices a student has head lice during a session.
What is the most appropriate immediate response?