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Play behavior and occupational therapy
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107.
Summary
This study shows that occupational therapy using a sensory integration approach improved a child's play skills and overall competence. Enhanced sensory integrative functions led to better occupational role performance.
Area of Science:
- Occupational therapy
- Pediatric sensory integration
- Childhood development
Background:
- Occupational therapists aim to enhance individuals' ability to perform daily roles competently.
- Evaluating treatment effectiveness is crucial for occupational therapy interventions.
- Sensory integration theory posits that improved sensory processing enhances functional abilities.
Observation:
- A case study focused on a child, C.C., utilizing play as an occupational role and a measure of competence.
- The intervention involved an occupational therapy approach grounded in sensory integration principles.
- Changes in C.C.'s play behavior were systematically observed.
Findings:
- The child demonstrated significant positive changes in play behavior following occupational therapy.
- Improvements in play competence supported the core tenets of sensory integration theory.
- Enhanced sensory integrative functions correlated with improved ability to engage in occupational roles adaptively.
- The child also showed progress in self-care skills and gross/fine motor abilities.
Implications:
- Play serves as a viable metric for assessing the efficacy of pediatric occupational therapy.
- The findings reinforce the effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in improving overall childhood competence.
- Further research is warranted to expand the evidence base for sensory integration in occupational therapy.