Occupational Therapy With Ayres Sensory Integration Approach for School-age Children - a Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Children, Only
- Sponsor
- Hospital Authority, Hong Kong
- Enrollment
- 52
- Primary Endpoint
- Change on the Goal attainment scaling. Changes in functional goals were measured using goal attainment scaling in collaboration with parents and caregivers.
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 7 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Introduction:
Sensory Integration (SI) is a theory and framework conceptualized by Dr. Jean Ayres, a highly experienced occupational therapist, with its main objective as enhancing the brain's capacity to perceive and organize sensory information to produce a more normal, adaptive response; thus, to provide the foundation for mastering academic tasks (Case-Smith and O'Brien, 2010).
Objectives:
The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of ASI interventions for school-aged children with sensory modulation and sensory processing deficits.
Methodology:
A cross-clustered single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted in 5 occupational therapy outpatient department within Hospital Authority, to assess the difference in clinical outcomes between subjects in experimental group (received ASI) and control group (on usual waitlist for treatment). Participants in experimental group (EG) would receive 16 sessions (45 minutes each) of individualized ASI. The sessions were scheduled on weekly basis and would be completed within five months once treatment was initiated. Post-assessment outcomes would be measured at this time-point. Post-assessment outcomes would also be measured for subjects in control group (CG) at the same time-point. ASI would then be initiated for participants in CG according to usual clinical scheduling.
Investigators
Phoebe Chan
Occupational Therapist I, Occupational Therapy Department, Principal Investigator, Hong Kong Children's Hospital
Hospital Authority, Hong Kong
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •aged between six and 12 years old, and attending mainstream primary school
- •identified as having problems with sensory modulation and/or sensory processing, according to the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) and the Chinese Sensory Profile completed by their main caregivers for pre-treatment evaluation (definite differences on at least three out of seven of the factor summary or section summary)
- •absence of serious emotional or behavioral disturbance
- •intelligence quotient no lower than limited (scores range from limited to average or above average).
Exclusion Criteria
- •any neurological problem, such as cerebral palsy
- •a history of visual and/or auditory defects or physical problems
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change on the Goal attainment scaling. Changes in functional goals were measured using goal attainment scaling in collaboration with parents and caregivers.
Time Frame: Pre and post of the treatment intervention, an average of 5 months
Goal attainment scaling (GAS) is the full name of this scale. It is an individualized, criterion-referenced measures of changes. In involves defining a set of unique goals for a client, and then specifying a range of outcomes, which reflect concrete activities. It is a goal-setting process determining intervention outcomes expressly relevant to individuals and their families. It can show functional and meaningful outcomes that are often challenging to assess using standardized measures. It is a 5-point rating scale ranging from -2 to +2 (-2 is the least favorable treatment outcome, 0 is the predicted expected level of performance, and +2 is the most favorable treatment outcome). In this study, three individualized goals were developed for each participant by occupational therapists in conjunction with the parents or caregivers. The occupational therapists transferred the score of each child in each goal in the pre- and post-assessments according to parents' ratings.
Change on the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test scores
Time Frame: Pre and post of the treatment intervention, an average of 5 months
Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) is the full name of this scale. This is a standardized test for assessing the sensory integration and praxis of children between the ages of four years and eight years, eleven months. This study used six subtests of the SIPT - standing and walking balance, postural praxis, post-rotary nystagmus, motor accuracy, sequencing praxis, and graphesthesia - based on expert opinions. SIPT offers is computer scoring and interpretation. Therapists simply record the child's performance and enter into the software. The software will generates the S.D. scores and percentile scores. Average SD scores are usually considered to fall between -1 to +1. Scores below -2 generally indicate definite problems, while scores between -2 and -1 are indicative of possible problems.
Change on the Chinese Sensory Profile
Time Frame: Pre and post of the treatment intervention, an average of 5 months
Chinese Sensory Profile is the full name of this scale.This is a judgment-based questionnaire answered on a 5-point Likert scale. It is regarded as a standardized assessment for screening the sensory processing abilities of children between the ages of three and 12 years. Score each response according to the following criteria:1. Always = 1 point; 2. Frequently = 2 points; 3. Occassionally = 3 points; 4. Seldom = 4 points; 5. Never = 5 points.To determine the section raw score total, add the item scores for each section and transfer the total to the section summary table. Plot the child's section raw score totals in the classification column corresponding to the raw score total for each section.Cut scores were determined for each section in the following manner: 1. Typical performance includes scores at or above 1 S.D. below the mean; 2. Probable difference is includes scores at or above 2 S.D. below the mean; 3. Definite difference is includes scores below 2 S.D. below the mean.