Effectiveness of the Collaborative Coaching Model When Working with Families of Children with Sensory Processing Dysfunctions

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorders experience sensory processing dysfunctions (SPD). SPD can interfere with the child’s ability to participate in daily activities. Children with poor sensory processing abilities have difficulty regulating their responses to a variety of sensations often affecting their ability to participate in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapists focus on facilitating child’s participation in meaningful occupations.  There are limited intervention models that focus on collaborating with caregivers to reinforce their development of problem-solving skills that supports generalization of learning and identifying solutions to future progress of the child’s participation.

Objectives: Develop a collaborative coaching model (CCM) to support & guide caregivers to develop solution finding skills towards facilitating their child’s participation in play within the context of the home environment. Measure the effectiveness of CCM at two levels:  (a) child level – by determining if there was a change in the level of participation in play in children with SPD following their participation in the intervention model; (b) caregiver level – by determining if there was a change in the level of self-initiated solution-finding skills of the caregiver following their participation in the intervention model. 

 Methods: This is a quasi-experimental, one group, pretest-posttest quantitative research study design. Four families of children with identified SPD ages 4-6 years were chosen for this study. Sensory processing patterns of children were measured using the sensory profile, participation in play was measured using the Preschool Activity Card Sort – modified and the level of change of the caregivers’ self-initiated solution finding skills was measured using the Self-Initiated Solution Finding Skills Questionnaire CCM consists of four phases. Phase one is the occupational performance evaluation phase in which the caregiver (CG) and the researcher (R) collaborates to identify the impact of person and environment related factors on child’s play participation. Phase two is the knowledge building phase in which the CG and R collaborates to understand the impact of person and environment related factors that enable play participation of the child. Phase three is the strategy generation phase in which the researcher and CG problem solve to create best person environment fit for the child. This phase helps develop solution finding skills among the caregivers to facilitate their child’s participation. In the last phase the CG implements the strategies and self-evaluates their child’s play participation.

Results: Results of this study indicate that there was increase in the level of play participation in children with SPD as well as increase in the caregiver’s level of self-initiated solution finding skills following their participation in the intervention model.

 Conclusions: The results indicate that the intervention model was effective at both the child level and the caregiver level. Though the participants of the study did not include children with autism but the results can be applied when working with families of children with autism who experience sensory processing dysfunctions. Implications of this study suggest that a collaborative, family-centered approach supports the caregiver’s ability to find solutions and develop strategies that enable participation in play in children with SPD.