Family-Centered Occupational Therapy Consultation for Children Under 18 Years Old: A Scoping Review.
Marjan Shahbazi, Elaheh Hojati Abed, Samaneh Karamali Esmaili
Eight of twelve studies found improved child participation or parent confidence after OT consultation.
Three found no clear benefit. The evidence is thin, mostly small studies, and says little about cerebral palsy, ADHD, speech disorders, or teenagers.
Key findings
1Eight of the twelve quantitative studies reported statistically significant improvements in at least one child or parent outcome following consultation. Three reported mixed or nonsignificant effects, and one provided descriptive data without testing for change.
2The three qualitative studies consistently described parents reporting increased understanding, confidence, and ability to implement strategies in their child's natural environments.
3Most included studies focused on children with autism spectrum disorder or mixed developmental diagnoses, leaving limited evidence for cerebral palsy, ADHD, or speech and language disorders. Very few examined consultation for infants, toddlers, or adolescents.
Still to come
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 15 studies were included, and most had small samples (ranging from 1 to 428 participants). Only two studies were randomized controlled trials; the rest were quasi-experimental or single-group designs. Most evidence comes from North American, high-income settings, with limited representation from other regions. The majority of studies focused on children with autism spectrum disorder or mixed developmental diagnoses; very few addressed cerebral palsy, ADHD, speech and language disorders, infants, toddlers, or adolescents. Data extraction was performed by a single author with partial verification, not by two independent reviewers. Intervention duration, intensity, and delivery format varied widely across studies, making direct comparison difficult.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest and state that no funding was received for the manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the eight-of-twelve positive result as proof that OT consultation works. Only two of the twelve studies were randomized trials, most had small samples, and three found no significant difference. The evidence is heterogeneous and mostly at lower levels of rigor.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →