Past Issues
Adjunctive Sensory Integration Therapy for Children with Developmental Disabilities in a Family-based Early Intervention Program
Hsiao-Yu Hsieh, Ling-Yu Chen, Kuang-Ling Ko, Hsiu-Hsiang Liu, Wen-Jiun Chou, Miao-Chun Chou, Ching-Shu Tsai, Liang-Jen Wang
Objective: In this study, we investigated whether adjunctive sensory integration therapy (SIT) can benefit children with developmental disabilities
(DD) who participated in a family-based early intervention program. Methods: Children aged 2–4 years who had been diagnosed with a DD
were placed into 1 of 3 intervention groups. Children in the day-care group (n = 15) received a daily, family-based treatment program in a daycare
center. Those in the outpatient clinic (OC) + SIT group (n = 15) participated in a weekly outpatient family-based treatment program with
an adjunctive SIT. The OC group (n = 15) participated in a weekly outpatient family-based treatment program, which was used as the control
group. With the copy of Mullen Scale of Early Learning (MSEL), we assessed all children both before and after a six-month of intervention.
Furthermore, we asked children’s caregivers to fill out the both survey copies of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF and
the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. Results: Children in the day-care group demonstrated significant improvements in all development
domains as measured with MSEL (p < 01 or p < 0.001). Children in the OC + SIT group exhibited similar developmental progress as those in
the day-care group. Furthermore, the OC + SIT group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in receptive language (p < 01) and early
learning composite score (p < 01) than the children in the OC group. But the caregivers’ quality of life and parenting stress remained unchanged
through the six-month intervention. Conclusion: Our findings revealed the potential effect of adjunctive SIT on children’s development. The
authors hope that our study data can provide a reference for early intervention strategies for children with DD.
Key Word | intensive early intervention, Mullen’s scale of early learning, pre-test/post-test, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF |
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