Comparison of individual and group/consultation treatment methods for preschool children with developmental delays

Although alternative treatment methods are becoming more widely discussed and implemented in pediatric occupational therapy, empirical data demonstrating the effectiveness of these treatment methods are lacking. The present study compares the effectiveness of an alternative treatment method (group/consultation) to traditional direct therapy.

Eighteen preschool subjects classified as developmentally delayed received either individual/direct therapy or group/consultation therapy. Each child was assessed initially and again 7 months later with three standardized tests assessing fine motor and gross motor development, functional skills in the home, and nonverbal intelligence.

Subjects in both treatment methods demonstrated significant increases in both fine and gross motor skills with the rate approximating that of the normal distribution of typically developing children.

There were no statistically significant differences between treatment methods on any of the assessments.