AOTA

Authors:

Ellen S. Cohn & Jessica A. DeMarinis

Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Boston, Massachusetts

Earn .1 AOTA CEU (1.25 NBCOT PDU/1 contact hour)

Abstract

Family- and client-centered care is an essential philosophy that guides occupational therapy intervention. Understanding and documenting the concerns and expected outcomes of children and families is vital for demonstrating the effectiveness of occupational therapy using sensory integration (SI) approaches (Cohn & Cermak, 1998). To examine whether practitioners are documenting outcomes that matter to parents, this article begins with a review of studies exploring parents’ perspectives regarding their hopes and desired intervention outcomes for their children with SI challenges. Studies conducted between 2007 and 2015 that examined intervention using SI and sensory-based approaches are then reviewed, in order to identify and classify the outcomes measured and to compare the measures with the constructs parents identify as important outcomes. The article concludes with a list of selected assessments that measure outcomes that are congruent with child and family concerns.

Learning Objectives

1.  Identify parents’ desired and valued outcomes for their children receiving occupational therapy using an SI approach

2.  Describe the differences between what parents desire and the outcomes measured in studies that have examined the effectiveness of occupational therapy using SI and sensory-based approaches

3. Select measures that focus on outcomes congruent with children’s and parents’ desired goals for occupational therapy intervention

Learning Level: Intermediate

Target Audience:

Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants

Content Focus:

OT Process: Assessment and Outcomes

Reference Information:

Cohn, Ellen; DeMarinis, Jessica (2016) Demonstrating the Value of Sensory Integration Approaches by Addressing and Measuring Outcomes That Matter to Families, OT Practice, 21(17). CE-1–CE-8