Parental Occupational Executive Training: Feasibility and Parental Perceptions

OTJR (Thorofare N J). 2020 Jul;40(3):203-210. doi: 10.1177/1539449220912191. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Abstract

Young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cope with functional difficulties attributed to executive dysfunction. This study evaluates the feasibility of the Parental Occupational Executive Training (POET) intervention. Parents of 71 children (4-7 years) with ADHD attended 8 to 10 weekly, personally tailored intervention sessions with an occupational therapist. Quantitative and qualitative measures were used to examine feasibility in four indices: parental attendance, adherence, and acceptance, and therapist fidelity. Parental attendance and home-strategy use during daily activities rates were high. Parents identified the occupational performance coaching model's principles as supporting their ability to implement the intervention. Therapists demonstrated high fidelity to the POET's theoretical bases. The POET is a feasible intervention with high parental attendance (98.61%), parental adherence (80.56%-94.44%), and therapist fidelity (100.00%). It can be implemented within child development centers and occupational therapy clinics and leads to parents' increased adherence.

Keywords: children; executive function; occupational performance; occupational therapy.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Education, Nonprofessional / methods*
  • Executive Function
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Israel
  • Male
  • Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Occupational Therapy / methods*
  • Parenting / psychology*
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Treatment Outcome