Using a Multifaceted Approach to Working With Children Who Have Differences in Sensory Processing and Integration

Abstract

Pediatric occupational therapy practitioners frequently provide interventions for children with differences in sensory processing and integration. Confusion exists regarding how best to intervene with these children and about how to describe and document methods. Some practitioners hold the misconception that Ayres Sensory Integration intervention is the only approach that can and should be used with this population. The issue is that occupational therapy practitioners must treat the whole client in varied environments; to do so effectively, multiple approaches to intervention often are required. This article presents a framework for conceptualizing interventions for children with differences in sensory processing and integration that incorporates multiple evidence-based approaches. To best meet the needs of the children and families seeking occupational therapy services, interventions must be focused on participation and should be multifaceted.

Coaching Parents of Children with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Scoping Review

“…Parent coaching needs to be considered in the context of the range of services available to families [ 16 , 17 ]. Reynolds et al [ 16 ] see coaching as one piece of multifaceted intervention.…”

“…Two papers have proposed frameworks of intervention for children with sensory integration difficulties and their families. Both frameworks [ 16 , 17 ] advocate direct interaction with parents using a coaching-based approach, either with parents alone or in addition to intervention with the child or environmental adaptation. It is acknowledged that one approach to intervention cannot meet the whole needs of clients across the variety of settings that we practice in.…”

“…It has been simply described as unlocking people's potential to maximize their own performance [ 18 ] and is founded upon the relationship between coach and coachee [ 19 ]. Reynolds et al [ 16 ] describe coaching as a structured process including emotional support and information exchange. Caregiver interventions are recognized to build on family strengths, occur in natural contexts, and are embedded in daily occupations which support goal acquisition [ 16 ].…”

“…Reynolds et al [ 16 ] describe coaching as a structured process including emotional support and information exchange. Caregiver interventions are recognized to build on family strengths, occur in natural contexts, and are embedded in daily occupations which support goal acquisition [ 16 ]. Caregiver interventions offer the opportunity to empower families in generating strategies compatible with their own routines as well as to be generalized to other situations [ 17 ].…”

Intervención de Terapia Ocupacional en niños con dificultades de procesamiento Sensorial: Un estudio de caso múltiple en una escuela en Paris.

“…A continuación, se brindan ejemplos específicos del uso de actividades sensoriales y motoras adaptadas individualmente que fueron co-creadas por el profesional y el niño de acuerdo con las necesidades de éste, contextualizadas en el juego y continuamente ajustadas y adaptadas por el profesional para proporcionar un nivel de desafío que aumente gradualmente la complejidad del desempeño del niño (Watling et al, 2018) Si bien la integración sensorial fue el marco principal de intervención, se debe tratar al niño en su totalidad en diferentes entornos; para ello, a menudo se requieren múltiples enfoques de intervención. Se mencionan asimismo ciertas estrategias y enfoques complementarios utilizados en cada caso (Reynolds, et al, 2017) Revisión de intervención…”