Abstract
OTPs are in a unique position to provide families and children with high-quality services and effectively meet their needs. This evidence supports effective caregiver communication in the pediatric setting through the OTP and caregiver perspective.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sophia L Perkins
Contributing Authors: Rosalie Shnorhokian, Mary Beth Kadlec
OTPs are in a unique position to ensure that families and children who receive EI services are getting high-quality, effective services. In current literature, caregivers consistently expressed the desire for more communication with providers treating their children. There is limited literature in the field of OT on the communication and information exchange that should occur during OT intervention sessions (Almasri et al., 2018 & McManus et at., 2020). This poster supports the recognition of the role that OTP and caregiver communication has on parents’ perspectives of their child’s success. Findings of this non-experimental two-part quantitative design note that the type and quantity of communication is not the only factor influencing perception of communication. The activity and context influence communication. It is important to continue to understand the OTP and caregiver’s perspective about how OT EI sessions are meeting the caregiver and child’s needs. This poster provides evidence supporting effective caregiver communication in the pediatric setting. Additionally, continuous development of the OPCS may ultimately provide an accessible and user-friendly tool for OTPs to videotape and analyze their own sessions and performance while engaging caregivers in treatment, and to further understand the types of communication and assistance utilized by both OTPs and caregivers to support successful participation in activities (Kadlec, 2022).
Almasri, N.A., An, M., & Palisano, R. J. (2018). Parents’ perception of receiving family-centered care for their children with physical disabilities: a meta-analysis. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 38(4), 427–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2017.1337664
McManus, B. M., Murphy, N. J., Richardson, Z., Khetani, M. A., Schenkman, M., & Morrato, E. H. (2020). Family-centered care in early intervention: Examining caregiver perceptions of family-centered care and early intervention service use intensity. Child: Care, Health, and Development, 46(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.111/cch.12724
Kadlec, M. B., Ehrlich, D., & Shaanan, M. (2021). The development of the Occupational Performance Coding System (OPCS) applied to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their caregivers and occupational therapist [Unpublished manuscript].