AOTA

Earn CE Credit With AJOT Articles!

Learn about tested treatment strategies by reading AJOT articles in your area of practice. Become an evidence-based practitioner and demonstrate your knowledge by passing the course exam.  Articles have been selected for their relevance to practice, fresh ideas, and strong evidence supporting treatment and the distinct value of OT.

Abstract:

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to obtain caregivers’ perspectives on the impact of the sensory environment on participation in daily activities of their young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Interviews were completed with 34 caregivers of children with ASD ages 3–7 yr. Results strongly suggest that parents and caregivers were pivotal in enabling participation for their children through the implementation of specific strategies and a parental decision-making process. The decision-making process considered amount of effort necessary to support participation and whether participation in a given activity was perceived as essential or nonessential. Strategies enabled participation and reduced the effort required to support the child’s participation. Strategies either directly related to the sensory factors of the environment or focused on reducing behavioral responses associated with sensory factors. In this study, we identified important considerations to enhance participation in the home and community environments for children with ASD.

Learning Objectives:

Following this course, the learner will be able to:

1)  Identify behaviors of young children with autism spectrum disorder that are associated with  hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli in the environment

2)  Discuss how the sensory environment impacts participation of daily activities of young children with autism spectrum disorder, according to the caregivers’ perspective

3)  Describe various strategies to enable participation in daily activities for children with autism spectrum disorder who have hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sensory stimuli in the environment and implications for occupational therapy

Authors:

Beth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, BCP, is Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Wendy Coster, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Professor and Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, Boston University, Boston, MA.

Gretchen Snethen, PhD, CTRS, is Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Maggie Derstine, BA, is Research Specialist, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Aimee Piller, PhD, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Piller Development Center, Phoenix, AZ.

Carole Tucker, PhD, PT, PCS, RCEP, is Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Exam questions for this course authored by Marie Morreale, OTR/L, CHT

Learning Level: Intermediate

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants

Content Focus: Category 1: Domain of OT; Category 2: OT Process: Intervention

Reference Information:

Pfeiffer, B., Coster, W., Snethen, G., Derstine, M., Piller, A., & Tucker, C. (2017). Caregivers’ perspectives on the sensory environment and participation in daily activities of children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 7104220020. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.021360