Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Dr. Sarah Nielsen

Abstract

Purpose: Caregivers play a critical role in a child’s overall development and are essential partners in the therapy process (Jaffe et al., 2020). Because of this, caregivers are in a unique position to support and reinforce therapeutic goals with daily routine and activities. When caregivers are equipped with appropriate strategies and guidance, they can help facilitate skill development outside of the formal therapy sessions, increasing opportunities for practice and generalization of skills (Lage et al., 2024). Current evidenced-based practice supports the use of caregiver coaching to increase caregiver autonomy and promote their ability to support their child’s developmental needs (Gmmash et al., 2021; Lillo-Navarro, 2019; Wingrat et al., 2024). However, the implementation of caregiver coaching strategies within pediatric occupational therapy practice remains inconsistent. The product includes educational materials to address expected developmental milestones, social and emotional learning, and strategies for implementing family-centered care. Additionally, the materials include caregiver-friendly handouts and resources to support the application of therapeutic strategies within the home environment. These products aim to increase occupational therapy practitioners’ knowledge and confidence in caregiver coaching while improving caregivers’ understanding of developmental needs and their ability to implement home-based strategies that support their child’s participation and development.

Methods: The Person Environment Occupation Model (PEO) guided this scholarly project (Baptiste, 2017). The model guided the needs assessment, extensive literature review, and program development process (Fazio, 2017).

Results: A manual was created that includes information on developmental milestones, social and emotional learning, caregiver coaching, and family-centered care. This manual provides occupational therapy with evidence-based resources to support their practice, especially to be able to provide a caregiver with education to support the implementation of therapy recommendations into the home environment.

Conclusion: The product provides occupational therapy practitioners with education and resources to provide family-centered care with an aim to increase the carryover of therapy recommendations in the home.

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