Application of Data-Driven Decision Making Using Ayres Sensory Integration® With a Child With Autism

Learning and Development of Diagnostic Reasoning in Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Students

Background/Aim

One way to facilitate occupational therapy undergraduate students transferring their academic skills of data gathering and analysis to professional settings is to ensure they can competently use diagnostic reasoning. Nevertheless, there are several obvious gaps in empirical evidence related to the learning and development of this style of reasoning in occupational therapy undergraduates. The most important are related to promoting higher-order thinking and the use of information to solve problems in the context of professional practice. This study analyses undergraduates' diagnostic reasoning and its changes during their education.

Materials and Methods

This multicentre study was conducted with a descriptive observational design. The study took place at the University of Coruña (Spain), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), and University of el Valle (Colombia). The sample was n = 247. For data collection, a clinical case was specifically designed. IBM SPSS Statistics (v19) and EPIDAT 3.1 were used for the data analysis.

Results

Participants identified and categorized occupational performance problems. However, they had difficulties when identifying and categorizing the occupational performance components (specifically, the symptoms and signs of the disease presented in the study case). They presented limitations to analyse and synthesize the information collected to develop an explanation of the occupational problems and their causes.

Conclusions

Undergraduate students' ability to analyse and synthesize information during data collection is poorly organized, so it makes the problem formulation difficult. This study contributes to the knowledge of undergraduates' diagnostic reasoning features, specifically the undergraduate students' capacities and limits to process information during the occupational assessment.

Razonamiento clínico en terapia ocupacional. Una revisión narrativa

 Introducción. El razonamiento clínico ordena el procesamiento de la información obtenida durante la evaluación, facilitando tomar decisiones para implementar planes de tratamiento. Esta área es cada vez más relevante para la formación de estudiantes y profesionales de terapia ocupacional. Objetivo. Analizar la literatura sobre razonamiento clínico en terapia ocupacional publicada entre 2009 y 2018. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura en bases de datos, repositorios institucionales, monografías y literatura gris de alcance. Se establecieron criterios de selección para la obtención de documentos que luego se analizaron estableciendo un conjunto de variables que permitieron el análisis de la literatura. Resultados. La literatura sobre razonamiento clínico en el período estudiado fue de 99 publicaciones, más de la mitad que en los 33 años anteriores. El razonamiento clínico en el ámbito docente es el de mayor impacto (41.4%); 52.5% son publicaciones que mejoran la práctica con sus aportes al reforzar el desarrollo de destrezas profesionales y la calidad de las intervenciones. Conclusión. El aumento de la investigación sobre razonamiento clínico en terapia ocupacional dota a esta área de conocimiento y rigor, mejorando así la eficacia de los terapeutas ocupacionales.

Brief Report: Reliability of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire: Home Scales

The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire: Home Scales (P-SEQ): Home Scales is a parent report tool designed to assess the impact of the sensory environment on participation in daily activities in the home of children with and without autism spectrum disorder. A cross-sectional study was completed to determine internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and examine item distribution. A total of 304 parents of children between the ages of 2 and 7 years of age completed the P-SEQ: Home Scales. Results identified excellent internal consistency (α = 0.96), moderate test-retest reliability (r = .62), and reasonable item distribution. Results suggest that the P-SEQ: Home Scales provides reliable estimates of the impact of the sensory environment on children's participation in home activities.

The Sensory Environment and Participation of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sensory processing is recognized as impacting participation for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Little research exists to examine the impact of the sensory environment on the participation patterns of children with ASD, specifically from a contextual standpoint. The researchers in this study examined the viewpoint of teachers and occupational therapists on the sensory-related environmental barriers to participation within the preschool context. Qualitative descriptive methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Thirteen preschool teachers and occupational therapists were interviewed. Sensory aspects of the environment both inhibited and enhanced participation. Physical and temporal components of the environment are identified as being the most influential. Modifications of the environment are identified as increasing participation. It is important to consider the sensory aspects of the environment, in addition to the sensory processing patterns of the person in assessment and intervention planning within the preschool environment.

Reliability of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire: Teacher Version

The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire-Teacher Version (PSEQ-TV) is a teacher-report questionnaire to assess the impact of the sensory environment on participation of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many children with ASD have sensory processing differences, although these differences are frequently examined from the standpoint of the person. The PSEQ-TV provides a single assessment to examine both participation and the sensory environment for preschool aged children with ASD. This study established the reliability of the PSEQ-TV including internal consistency of 0.98 and test-rest reliability of 0.70. The results indicate initial reliability of PSEQ-TV as an instrument that can be used to identify sensory environmental barriers within the preschool setting to target during interventions to increase participation.