Evidence for your Practice: Parent Perspectives of an Occupational Therapy Telehealth Intervention

Photo by Jud Mackrill on Unsplash

Article: Wallisch, A., Little, L., Pope, E., & Dunn, W. (2019). Parent perspectives of an occupational therapy telehealth intervention. International journal of telerehabilitation, 11(1), 15.

Study Aim: To understand the lived experiences of parents of young children with autism spectrum disorders who participated in a 12-week, telehealth-delivered occupational therapy intervention (Occupation Based Coaching or OBC).

Key Findings: 
Themes that emerged from the data included:

• Compatibility with Everyday Life
• Parents discussed how the structure of the telehealth service delivery model and the specific intervention model (OBC) fit within the structure of the family.
• Collaborative Relationship
• Parents discussed the ways in which occupational therapy professional knowledge added to the online sessions and how the therapist was empathetic and did not judge parent decisions. 
• Parent Empowerment
• Parents felt empowered to try new strategies, problem solve through situations, and consider their child’s strengths. 

Bottom Line for OT: Occupational therapy services delivered via telehealth can support families of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in everyday routines such as mealtime, bedtime, and play. Understanding parents' experiences of telehealth-delivered occupational therapy intervention can help OTs improve delivery of their service through this platform.

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