Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Use of the Medical Research Council Framework to develop a complex intervention in pediatric occupational therapy:
Cheryl Missiuna1, Nancy Pollock, Wenonah N Campbell
1CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University, 1400 Main Street West, IAHS 408 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 1C7. missiuna@mcmaster.ca
Insights
Partnering for Change (P4C) is a school-based intervention for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). This program successfully increased educator and parent capacity for managing DCD, improving children's participation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Occupational Therapy
- Developmental Pediatrics
- School Health Services
Background:
- Complex interventions require structured frameworks for design and testing, as recommended by the UK Medical Research Council.
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) presents challenges for children's participation in school and home activities.
- Existing school-based services for DCD may lack capacity for early identification and comprehensive management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Partnering for Change (P4C) intervention in improving management of DCD in school settings.
- To assess the P4C model's success in building capacity among educators and parents to support children with DCD.
- To determine if P4C enhances children's participation in school and home environments.
Main Methods:
- The Partnering for Change (P4C) intervention was implemented in 11 elementary schools by eight occupational therapists during the 2009-2010 school year.
- The intervention focused on building capacity through collaboration and coaching, with schools as the primary clients.
- Data were collected via questionnaires and individual interviews from over 2600 students and 160 teachers.
Main Results:
- The P4C intervention model demonstrated high success in increasing knowledge and capacity among school staff and parents.
- Qualitative and quantitative data indicated positive outcomes in managing DCD within the school environment.
- The collaborative coaching approach was effective in empowering educators and parents.
Conclusions:
- The Partnering for Change (P4C) intervention is a promising model for transforming service delivery for children with DCD in schools.
- Capacity-building through collaboration and coaching is a viable strategy for addressing DCD in educational settings.
- P4C has the potential to improve early identification and management of DCD, leading to better child participation.
Abstract:
The United Kingdom Medical Research Council recommends use of a conceptual framework for designing and testing complex therapeutic interventions. Partnering for Change (P4C) is an innovative school-based intervention for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) that was developed by an interdisciplinary team who were guided by this framework. The goals of P4C are to facilitate earlier identification, build capacity of educators and parents to manage DCD, and improve children's participation in school and at home. Eight occupational therapists worked in school settings during the 2009-2010 school year. Their mandate was to build capacity through collaboration and coaching with the school becoming the "client", rather than any individual student. Over 2600 students and 160 teachers in 11 elementary schools received service during the project. Results from questionnaires and individual interviews indicated that this model was highly successful in increasing knowledge and capacity. P4C intervention holds promise for transforming service delivery in schools.
