Effects of collaborative consultation using iPad application in school-based occupational therapy: A single-arm...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy
• Educational Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• School-based occupational therapy (SBOT) often involves collaboration between therapists and teachers.
• Effective goal-setting is crucial for successful therapeutic interventions in educational settings.
• Technology-assisted tools can potentially enhance collaborative processes in therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effectiveness of collaborative consultation using the iPad application ADOC-S for goal-setting in SBOT.
• To assess the impact of this intervention on teacher-therapist rapport and child outcomes.
• To evaluate the feasibility and utility of ADOC-S in a preschool setting.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study with a single-arm pre-post intervention design was conducted in four Japanese preschools.
• Ten preschool teachers and ten children participated.
• Collaborative consultations, observational assessments, and goal development using ADOC-S and Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) were employed. Outcomes were measured using Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), GAS, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Main Results:

• All participants completed the intervention. Significant pre-post improvements were observed across COPM, GAS, and SDQ, with large effect sizes (ES).
• Specifically, COPM showed ES of r = .85-.94, GAS showed ES of r = .98-.99, and SDQ showed ES of r = .64.
• All 30 identified goals exceeded expectations on the GAS, ranging from zero to +2.

Conclusions:

• The ADOC-S application, combined with collaborative consultation, appears to facilitate positive outcomes in school-based occupational therapy.
• The findings suggest that this approach can enhance rapport between teachers and occupational therapists.
• Further research is warranted to address limitations and explore broader applications.