British Journal of Occupational Therapy

There is limited evidence to support use of sensory interventions by teachers in the classroom. The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the effectiveness of sensory activity schedule intervention in supporting participation and increasing classroom task performance in students with autism.

A non-concurrent, AB single system research design across multiple baselines was used with four students with autism who attended an autism-specific school. Students demonstrated atypical sensory processing, which negatively affected their school performance. Repeated baseline and intervention data were collected by school staff using video recording during classroom tasks. Tasks performed were designated by the child’s teacher. Stage one of the Perceive, Recall, Plan, Perform System of Task Analysis was used as a repeated measure of student performance. Ratings were carried out by independent raters who were blinded to the condition of performance.

Results revealed three out of four students achieved significant improvements in classroom task performance following the use of sensory activity schedule intervention developed in consultation with an occupational therapist as measured by the task analysis.

This study provides emerging evidence for the use of sensory activity schedule intervention in the classroom for students with autism.

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia is a well-recognised childhood health condition. The two terms are used interchangeably. The profile of this condition in adolescence is less well known. This study examined the performance difficulties, activity limitations and participation restrictions experience of adolescents aged 16–19 years with developmental coordination disorder and identified what health services are required and/or accessed by these individuals.

Secondary analysis of service need and use data were analysed for 141 adolescents with a diagnosis of dyspraxia registered on an Irish national database. The experience of disability was analysed for 40 individuals who completed the optional measure of activity and participation section, including the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II.

Adolescents experience cognitive rather than physical impairments evolving from executive functioning and social skills. These impact on participation restrictions in academic, vocational, recreation and family life areas. Adolescents required access to the specific health services of occupational therapy and psychology. The health service needs of these adolescents were not adequately met.

Adolescents with developmental coordination disorder present with a complex array of difficulties that require specific health services. Future research needs to examine effective interventions, so that health service provision and policy can reflect the needs of these individuals.

Many people require eye drops administered daily, yet many do not instil them as prescribed. This can be due to physical difficulty managing the delivery device yet little research has focused on this.

Participants from ophthalmology and rheumatology clinics at hospitals within two regions in Scotland (n = 206) were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire about eye drop use and difficulties they experienced. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the independent relationship between key explanatory variables and the major outcome variable, which was difficulty in administration.

It was found that 62% of people who attended a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinic reported difficulty instilling eye drops and that they were four and a half times more likely to have difficulty than people who attended an ophthalmology clinic. A greater proportion of women and younger people attended the RA clinics than the ophthalmology clinics; however, the reasons given for having difficulty and the level of adherence did not differ between the two groups.

The number of people newly diagnosed with RA is increasing worldwide, particularly among women, and many need eye drops. Experiencing difficulty instilling them is therefore a significant international health issue.

Mindfulness is associated with psychological wellbeing and quality of life. The focus on body awareness in definitions of mindfulness suggests that an individual’s sensory processing pattern may influence mindfulness abilities. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the relationship between sensory processing styles and multiple aspects of mindfulness including components of attention, awareness, and acceptance in healthy adults.

151 participants, aged 18 to 60 (mean 25.24 ± 8.8), completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, mindful attention and awareness scale, and cognitive and affective mindfulness scale.

Aspects of mindfulness associated with attention and awareness were significantly negatively related to sensory processing patterns associated with passive behavioral strategies (low registration and sensory sensitivity).

Individuals whose sensory processing patterns are characterized by poor awareness experience more mind wandering and distraction in daily life. Occupational therapists should consider mindfulness techniques when treating individuals with sensory processing disorders. In addition, information about sensory processing styles should be incorporated into relaxation and mindfulness-based interventions.

Research shows that occupational therapists and occupational therapy students are increasingly taking up positions in cross-cultural contexts where occupational form, social values and understanding of occupation are different to Western norms. It may be difficult for the occupational therapist to identify the implication of cultural differences.

This meta-synthesis investigated lived experience of physical disability in East and Southeast Asia with the aim of identifying local understandings of disability, using the technique of meta-ethnography as described by Noblit and Hare.

Fourteen articles met the selection criteria and six overarching themes were identified concerning disability in Asia: theme (1), the influence of disability on relationships within primary groups; theme (2), journeys in resilience vary among individuals; theme (3), managing poor health makes disability difficult; theme (4), education is important and difficult for people with disabilities to achieve; theme (5), financial hardship is closely linked to disability; and theme (6), values and beliefs are enmeshed in the experiences of living with disabilities.

There is a wide range of experiences of disability. Occupational therapy services and research may be more effective for people with disabilities in cross-cultural settings, when these factors are investigated and incorporated into practice.

Cognitive stimulation therapy is a well-recognised evidence-based cognitive psychosocial intervention for people with mild to moderate dementia. Despite increased use of the programme, little is known about its implementation in practice.

A service evaluation of care home staff that received cognitive stimulation therapy training was conducted, and on-going support to deliver the programme in practice was provided. Outcome measures collected at baseline and 6 month follow up included sense of competence, learning transfer, dementia knowledge, and approaches to dementia. Attendance records were also collected.

Ten out of 12 care homes attempted to deliver the cognitive stimulation therapy programme after receiving training and support. Overall, a high number of sessions were delivered. In addition, the staff members demonstrated significant improvements in positive approaches to dementia care and sense of competence.

This article reports encouraging findings of training and outreach support with demonstrated improvements in staff outcomes and successful implementation of the cognitive stimulation therapy programme. These results support the current evidence base supporting the use of cognitive stimulation therapy in routine care. This is relevant to occupational therapy as the profession plays a crucial part in the implementation of psychosocial interventions for dementia in practice.