Coaching Parents of Children with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Scoping Review.
Susan Allen, Fiona J Knott, Amanda Branson and 1 others
PMID 34239407WHAT IT FOUND
Coaching parents of children with autism and sensory difficulties showed promise in four small studies, improving parent competence and child behavior.
However, evidence is preliminary, designs varied widely, and long-term maintenance is unproven.
Key findings
01Four studies met inclusion criteria, all involving parents of children with autism and sensory integration difficulties.
02All four studies reported improvements in child behavior or parent knowledge and self-efficacy.
03Evidence is limited by small sample sizes, lack of control groups in three studies, and short or missing follow-up periods.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only four studies were included, making the evidence base very small. Sample sizes in the included studies were small, increasing the risk of error and limiting generalizability. Three of the four studies lacked a control group, so it is unclear if changes were due to the intervention or other factors. Follow-up periods were short (up to four weeks) or missing, so long-term effectiveness is unknown. All children in the included studies had autism, so findings may not apply to children with sensory integration difficulties who do not have autism. Intervention components and dosages varied widely, preventing comparison of what works best.
Declared interests
No specific funding or conflict of interest declarations are detailed in the provided text snippets, though the review follows standard academic reporting.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume coaching is proven to work for all children with sensory difficulties. The review only found evidence for children with autism, and the studies were too small and varied to confirm long-term benefits or isolate which parts of coaching actually cause change.