Including the family perspective in sensory integration outcomes research

Area of Science:

• * Rehabilitation Sciences
• * Occupational Therapy
• * Pediatric Health

Background:

• * Growing emphasis on measuring intervention outcomes in health and rehabilitation professions.
• * Outcome research informs practice guidelines, reimbursement standards, and healthcare policy.
• * Current outcome assessments reflect therapists' beliefs and assumptions about influencing behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present a conceptual framework for measuring occupational therapy intervention outcomes in children.
• * To integrate sensory integration theory with disablement and occupational functioning models.
• * To highlight the multi-level influences of interventions on child and family function.

Main Methods:

• * Review of sensory integration theory and efficacy studies.
• * Development of a conceptual framework based on disablement and Coster's occupational functioning for children model.
• * Identification of assumptions linking sensory integration to children's daily occupations within families.

Main Results:

• * A framework is proposed to examine intervention effects across multiple levels of child and family function.
• * Assumptions regarding sensory integration's impact on children's everyday occupations are identified.
• * The need to consider the family perspective in outcome studies is emphasized.

Conclusions:

• * A comprehensive framework is needed to understand and measure occupational therapy outcomes.
• * Sensory integration plays a key role in children's occupational participation within their family context.
• * Future research should incorporate family-centered assessments to capture a holistic view of intervention effectiveness.