Evidence-based practice talked about in OT, but why is it so important? Find out why it's essential to provide evidence-based interventions
Evidence-based practice talked about in OT, but why is it so important? Find out why it's essential to provide evidence-based interventions
The Resilience Framework is based on Resilient Therapy, a set of ideas and practices based on the resilience research evidence base and practice experience.
Apply EBP loves evidence-based practice (EBP) so much that we took its initials to become our last name. What is evidence-based practice (EBP)? And how
Left neglect can strike after a right-sided stroke. What you need to know about visual attention, how to test for it, & evidence-based treatment activities.
This resource on evidence based practice in occupational therapy includes places to obtain evidence for therapy interventions.
There are more occupational therapy assessments out there than we realize. Learn about the many OT assessments out there!
Use these free worksheets for understanding and implementing evidence based practice in occupational therapy.
Looking to incorporate more evidence into your OT practice? Check out these 5 strategies to be an evidence-based OT practitioner.
Our mission at OT Potential is to support OTs in evidence-based practice. We are excited to share the most influential OT research.
Helping OT practitioners & students have the resources they need so they can disrupt the norm and be the best they can be for their patients!
Using a task analysis is essential in the Special Education classroom. Get a quick overview on what a task analysis is and how to use them in this post.
Looking to incorporate more evidence into your OT practice? Check out these 5 strategies to be an evidence-based OT practitioner.
Use these free worksheets for understanding and implementing evidence based practice in occupational therapy.
Are you looking for Evidence-Based Practice for Individuals with Autism? Did you know there are 27 Evidence-Based Practices? Check them out...
Are you looking for Evidence-Based Practice for Individuals with Autism? Did you know there are 27 Evidence-Based Practices? Check them out...
This resource on evidence based practice in occupational therapy includes places to obtain evidence for therapy interventions.
Unilateral neglect is a common effect of strokes. It goes by many different names. Learn the current evidence-based OT interventions to help
Abstract. In the campaign to implement evidence-based practice, the current single-hierarchy model of levels of evidence fails to incorporate at parity all types of research evidence that are valuable in the practice of occupational therapy. A new model, originally developed by Borgetto et al. (2007) and modified and expanded, is presented. By separating the evidence-level criteria of internal and external validity, by incorporating explicitly the evidence provided by qualitative studies, and by retaining the critical notion of rigor, a pyramidal evidence model emerges. This model, the Research Pyramid, aligns itself with the revised model of evidence-based medicine and, more important, with the basic modes of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy. It constitutes a beginning attempt to order evidence-based practice in accordance with the epistemology of the profession. It may better guide occupational therapy research and meta-synthesis and their incorporation into practice decisions.
Learn about these functional life skills you can teach to autistic teens and in special education classrooms to help them gain independence...
The following resources on child trauma were developed by the NCTSN.
University of California Television (UCTV) and The MIND Institute present an in-depth discussion of best practices in choosing and using AAC devices and displays. If you have ever wondered how and…
[Source: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport via Your Therapy Source] Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport published research on the effects of mental practice (MP) and physical practice (PP) on a finger opposition task among 36, nine to ten years old, children. The children were randomly assigned to either a MP group, PP group or […]
Research indicates that using visual activity schedules can be an evidence based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) particularly when used along with systematic instructional procedures. Visual activity schedules have been utilized to increase, maintain and generalize a range of skills from preschool through adulthood in different settings. Considering most of our goals in pediatric therapy are to improve and generalize skills in a variety of settings using visual activity schedules may help children to reach their goals. Visual activity schedules can be defined as a series of images, pictures, photographs, or line drawings used to depict a sequence of events. Frequently, the images are used to prepare the individual for the next activity, the next step of an activity or a sequence of activities. They are used to decrease problem behaviors and to improve transitions, on task behavior, social skills and play skills. Many experts agree that part of the reason visual supports are beneficial is because individuals with ASD process visual information better than auditory information. Visual activity schedules can vary based on the setting, skills being addressed, type of schedule and the mode of presentation (ie binder, tablet, etc.). The review of the research indicates that visual activity schedules can be used as an evidence based practice in order to: teach on-task, on-schedule, and appropriate and independent transitions. improve latency to task from task direction, percentage of correctly completed responses, task, or task analysis steps. decrease level of prompts necessary for transitions. Many of the studies that were reviewed used visual activity schedules in conjunction with systematic instruction such as: graduated guidance, reinforcement (e.g., high fives, edible rewards, contingent praise, preferred reinforcers) and gestural, verbal, and physical prompts. Here are some resources to help creating visual activity schedules: Visual Supports: Schedules, Self-Regulation, & Classroom Inclusion – Designed by a school based occupational therapist, Thia Triggs, this color coded visual support system is suitable for your children with autism, emotional behavioral disturbance, intellectual disabilities, ADHD, communication disabilities, and more. Pictures are cute, engaging, and easy for children to understand. Includes 283 visuals. Bathroom Social Stories for Boys OR Girls – Learning to use the bathroom at school can be a struggle for children on the spectrum. Social stories and visual task strips are the most effective methods of teaching new self-help skills to many special needs children. Cut and Paste Sensory Diet – Download of the materials to create 2 sensory diet books, one for home and one for school with over 150 picture word cards. BrainWorks Online – online tool for creating effective sensory diets for children, teens, and adults. BrainWorks takes pride in being USER-FRIENDLY, from start (selection of what you need) to finish (empowering the child to select appropriate activities). Our web-based product allows you to print out visual sensory diet tools, helpful forms, and activity picture cards. Need visual images for exercise programs? Check out Yoga Moves – Visual Cue Cards, Yoga Cards and Game Ideas and Classroom Activity Posters. Want to read more about visual activity schedules? Here are 5 ways to incorporate visual supports during a therapy session. Reference: Knight, V., Sartini, E., & Spriggs, A. D. (2015). Evaluating visual activity schedules as evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 45(1), 157-178. The post Evidence Based Practice: Visual Activity Schedules appeared first on Your Therapy Source.
This resource on evidence based practice in occupational therapy includes places to obtain evidence for therapy interventions.
One of the most common reasons for referral to school based occupational therapy services is handwriting assessment and treatment. Here are a few references on why students still need traditional handwriting practice. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy published a review of the interventions used to improve handwriting. After reviewing 11 studies that tested relaxation and practice with or without EMG, sensory-based training without handwriting practice, and handwriting-based practice (including sensory-focused or cognitive focused handwriting practice) the researchers concluded that interventions that did not include handwriting practice and those that included less than 20 practice sessions were ineffective (Hoy, 2011). The Journal of Occupational Therapy, School and Early Intervention published a small study comparing traditional handwriting practice versus iPad handwriting instruction. For the 12 kindergartners and first graders who participated, the results indicated that traditional methods of handwriting instruction were superior in terms of letter formation and letter orientation when compared to iPad-mediated practice. In addition, letter recognition increased for those using traditional handwriting methods but stayed stable for the iPad-mediated group (Wells, 2016). Educational Psychology Review performed a comprehensive analysis to determine if teaching handwriting enhanced legibility and fluency and resulted in better writing performance. The results indicated that when compared to no instruction or non-handwriting instructional conditions, teaching handwriting resulted in statistically greater legibility and fluency. Motor instruction did not produce better handwriting skills but individualizing handwriting instruction resulted in statistically significant improvements in legibility. Handwriting instruction produced statistically significant gains in the quality, length, and fluency of students’ writing (Santangelo, 2016). There are many more research articles that can be cited through the years on the importance of handwriting instruction. So we know students benefit from handwriting instruction and practice, BUT school districts do not seem to make time for it anymore. Most school based occupational therapists deal with handwriting interventions on a daily basis. Your Therapy Source has several handwriting resources that are available via electronic delivery to help with handwriting instruction and practice. The most recent handwriting intervention offered at Your Therapy Source was created by Thia Triggs, OTR. She has put together an amazing handwriting bundle package. This Handwriting Without Tears© -style letter font, uses 3-lines to best support your students. There are Go-Dots, Gray-Boxes, and Simple Arrows that inform rather than confuse learners. You will get 8 of the best handwriting instruction downloads from Print Path for your multi-leveled interventions! It is almost 500 pages! GET MORE INFORMATION. Reference: Monica M. P. Hoy, Mary Y. Egan, and Katya P. Feder. A Systematic Review of Interventions to Improve Handwriting. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy February 2011 78: 13-25, doi:10.2182/cjot.2011.78.1.3 Kevin E. Wells , PhD, Tracey N. Sulak , PhD, Terrill F. Saxon , PhD & Leanne L. Howell , PhD. Traditional versus iPad-mediated handwriting instruction in early learners. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention Volume 9, 2016 – Issue 2 Santangelo, T. & Graham, S. A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Handwriting Instruction. Educ Psychol Rev (2016) 28: 225. doi:10.1007/s10648-015-9335-1 The post Evidence Based Research on Why Students Need Traditional Handwriting Practice appeared first on Your Therapy Source.
Kyleigh Anderson, OTR/L
Tracing makes learning easier, faster, and more motivating! - evidence for 100-year-old practice works in education.
Get practical grammar intervention tips that are aligned with Evidence-based practices with links to research articles.
Almost seven years ago I wrote a blog entry on pediatric fecal incontinence which is archived here . In that review I briefly discussed ps...
Using a task analysis is essential in the Special Education classroom. Get a quick overview on what a task analysis is and how to use them in this post.
I have been using voice output devices (VOCA) - otherwise known as speech generating devices (SDG) - for as long as they’ve been around. And most of my caseload over the years has been full of kids on the spectrum - autism spectrum, for the uninitiated. And as concerned as I’ve always been with Evidence Based Practice (EBP), AAC has not always been considered EBP; if only because there weren’t sufficient research studies to make it so. (Whoo - what a lot of acronyms in that first paragraph!) The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders compiles what it considers to be EBP for persons with ASD. To quote them, “ To be considered an evidence-based practice for individuals with ASD, efficacy must be established through peer-reviewed research in scientific journals using: • randomized or quasi-experimental design studies. Two high quality experimental or quasi-experimental group design studies, • single-subject design studies. Three different investigators or research groups must have conducted five high quality single subject design studies, or • combination of evidence. One high quality randomized or quasi-experimental group design study and three high quality single subject design studies conducted by at least three different investigators or research groups (across the group and single subject design studies).” They have now, however, found sufficient studies that meet their criterion using AAC. They have created a checklist for implementation that is well worth a read if you practice in AAC. Their checklist includes some things we might consider obvious, but I’m here to tell you that I often find these things NOT happening with kids who need or use AAC. And some of the points for practice are in line with ABA strategies, but not necessarily best practices for AAC. So, what is a clinician to do? Read. Consider. Balance. Interpret. And consider again. For example, after identifying an appropriate device (well, that’s a hurdle right there), they tell teachers and clinicians to introduce the device with only a few symbols and with many blank buttons. While using a larger grid and hiding buttons is an appropriate tactic for introducing an AAC system, we don’t want to use too few symbols. We know that our AAC learners need sufficient vocabulary to meet their needs, as well as needing sufficient vocabulary for partners to provide Aided Language Stimulation (modeling, for short). I have often seen the practice by ABA practitioners of moving buttons around, in order to ‘ensure that the students are really discriminating and not just memorizing location.’ However, AAC research and practice has specifically taught us that stability of location is important; that language acquisition through motor planning is a real phenomenon. And that moving vocabulary around only serves to make learning more difficult and to make students frustrated. They do instruct clinicians and teachers to provide opportunities for exploration with the device, and to provide “engineered” opportunities within the student’s day that are naturally occurring. They also remind practitioners and other partners to provide minimal prompting. Too often I have seen well-meaning communication partners reach out and take the individual’s hand and provided Hand Over Hand guidance. There is no mention of Aided Language Stimulation or Aided Input, which I see as a major flaw to their checklist. They address using the least prompting necessary to get a response from the user, but do not allow for a period of modeling without requiring a response. So, while the evidence is there for use of AAC with kids on the Spectrum, we want to be careful of what evidence we're following. Research, learn, and educate yourself - for the good of your clients.
speech therapy, language therapy, speech and language, resources for speech-language pathologists, therapy materials, app reviews, product reviews
Practice left and right by wearing these handy left and right wristbands and by playing the cover it board game! Your kids will get tons of practice.
