"It Changed My Perspective": Embedding Occupational Therapy Within an Early Childhood Education Centre Provides Inclusive Developmental Support and Access to Early Intervention.
Alexis Bedard, Lisa Fyffe
PMID 41429589WHAT IT FOUND
Teachers and parents described embedded occupational therapy as removing the wait for help and the shame of pulling children out.
They valued immediate classroom-based problem solving over traditional referral pathways, though this pilot reports their perceptions rather than child outcomes.
Key findings
01Participants valued the ability to address developmental concerns immediately within the classroom, contrasting this with the multi-week wait times for outside services.
02Parents and teachers reported that embedded support destigmatized developmental needs and provided practical, actionable strategies that reduced anxiety and stress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study is a single-site qualitative pilot, so findings cannot be generalized to other centres or populations. The first author was a doctoral student and the second author was the creator of the model being studied, which introduces potential bias. The study reports only on perceptions of access and support, not on whether children's actual developmental outcomes improved. The sample size is small, with only 10 parents, 12 teachers, and 6 administrators participating in focus groups.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. However, the second author is the creator of the OTEEC Partnership Model being evaluated, and the first author was a doctoral student supervised by the second author.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the identification of 26 children as evidence that embedded therapy improves developmental outcomes. The study reports on perceptions of access and process, not on child progress or efficacy.
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 →