Occupational therapy practice with children with developmental coordination disorder: An online qualitative vignette survey

Abstract

Introduction Children and young people with developmental coordination disorder experience multiple occupational performance and participation challenges across environments. Research to date has not fully explored occupational therapy practice with children with developmental coordination disorder and their families. This study aims to describe current occupational therapy practice with children with developmental coordination disorder. Method This study used a cross-sectional, online qualitative vignette survey methodology. International occupational therapists who were working with or had worked with children with developmental coordination disorder within the previous 5 years were invited to participate. Following a case vignette, clinicians were asked questions prompting them to describe their practice based upon the vignette. The data were analysed thematically. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research and Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys reporting guidelines were adhered to. Findings Fifty-three valid responses were analysed. Analysis identified three themes describing occupational therapy practice with children with developmental coordination disorder: (a) a collaborative approach to establish occupation-focused goals; (b) occupation-focused assessment to guide therapy and diagnose developmental coordination disorder; and (c) the use of occupation-based interventions incorporating multiple strategies to enhance occupational engagement. Conclusion This study suggests that current occupational therapy practice with children with developmental coordination disorder is collaborative, occupation-focused, and multi-component. Findings highlight a gap between the complexity of practice and the nature of interventions evaluated in research to date.

Sensory Modulation in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder Compared to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Children

“…Our results indicate that abnormalities in sensory processing, including both discrimination and modulation, should be considered in understanding the possible phenotypes of DCD and developing individualized interventions. Further, given the correlation between sensory modulation scores and social emotional skills, interventions focusing on sensory modulation in DCD (and ASD) may also have the added benefit of improving social skills, mental health, and behavior [ 154 ]. For children with DCD, sensory processing is associated differently with social emotional measures, behavior, and motor skills than for children with ASD and TD children, and further studies are needed to better understand these differences.…”

A qualitative study of child participation in decision-making: Exploring rights-based approaches in pediatric occupational therapy

“…However, few studies to date have explored the child’s role in decision-making in this process. Some recent studies have focused on goal-setting practices within pediatric occupational therapy but examined aspects such as therapists perspectives [ 27 , 28 ] and the process of determining goals [ 29 ] without examining decision-making from a child’s perspective. Furthermore, in their scoping review of goal-setting research, Pritchard-Wiart and Phelan [ 24 ] identified that no qualitative studies to date have been conducted with children in pediatric occupational therapy, suggesting the need to examine the child’s perspectives of the goal-setting process.…”