Date of Award

6-2024

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Briana Bonner OTD, OTR/L

Second Advisor

Abbey Glenn OTD, OTR/L, BCG, ECHM

Abstract

Caregivers of children with additional needs often experience high rates of burnout, stemming from limited time, lack of knowledge about child development and/or diagnoses, and elevated stress levels. This burnout can result in decreased caregiver follow-through on addressing a child’s needs or interventions in the home environment. This project aimed to bridge the gap between parents and increase their follow-through in the outpatient setting for children diagnosed with developmental delay and/or additional needs by providing a 10-week educational program. A mixed-methods approach was used with a pre-intervention and post-intervention using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) to measure parental self-efficacy. An introductory needs assessment and survey were provided for insight including the demographics of the families. The project implementation included short questionnaires related to specific topics, individualized parent programs for carryover at home, and a tracking form for data collection and accountability. There were a total of three mothers who participated. This project was supported by literature findings, theory, and outcome measures prior to implementation. Key findings and approaches to this capstone project were embedded through the lens of occupational therapy. With a broad approach to improve parental perceptions, each participant demonstrated minimal increase in their own self-efficacy and parental competence through a mixed-methods approach.

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