Parenting and Occupational Therapy: An Exploration of Global Practice

Occupational therapists recognize parenting as within their scope; however, little is known about how this translates to practice with adult clients with disabilities or other challenges. We sought to describe contemporary global occupational therapy practice for parenting with adult clients, including assessment and interventions. A cross-sectional e-survey designed for the study was implemented in eight languages. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Responses were received from 1,357 occupational therapists across 42 countries. Of these, 43.1% (n = 586) frequently ask their clients who are parents about parenting roles and occupations, while 34.2% (n = 465) frequently or very frequently address parenting concerns. Assessments typically relied on informal approaches or the use of broad measures of occupational performance. The most frequently reported parenting intervention was the provision of education and training in parenting skills. Occupational therapy practice for parenting remains underdeveloped, with limited evidence of comprehensive occupational therapy assessment or intervention.