Coaching to Support Children With Disabilities in Occupational Therapy: A Literature Review

Abstract

Importance

Coaching is an effective intervention strategy in occupational therapy but there lacks consensus in the literature about terms, definitions, and approaches used which can be barriers to the clinical use of this method.

Objective

The purpose of this review is to understand how coaching adults is used as an intervention to support children with disabilities.

Methods

Guidelines from foundational scoping review articles and PRISMA-ScR were followed. Studies using adult coaching as an intervention to support children with disabilities were reviewed. A total of 20 articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the review.

Findings

The use of coaching terms and definitions vary. There are commonalities with coaching structures, “key ingredients,” and use of outcome measures among studies which can provide a starting framework for occupational therapists wanting to use coaching as an intervention in their practice.

Conclusions and Relevance

Coaching adults to support children with disabilities is already known to be an effective occupational therapy intervention strategy. Developing structured protocols with clearer and more unified terminology may improve the fidelity of this intervention approach.

What This Article Adds

This article presents current practices in adult coaching to support children with disabilities in Occupational Therapy. The authors discuss commonalities across coaching practices for therapists who wish to use coaching protocols in their clinical practice.

Keywords:

• Coaching
• family-centered practice
• occupational therapy

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge her dissertation committee members – Dr. Dana Howell, Dr. Patrick Kitzman, Dr. Kelly Leigers and Dr. Melinda Ault.

Declaration of interests

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

There are no sources of funding to report for this study.

Notes on contributors

Valerie Miller

Valerie Miller is an assistant professor in occupational therapy at the University of Cincinnati.

Mara A. Sampson

Mara A. Sampson is an occupational therapist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Dana Howell

Dana Howell is professor and chair of the occupational therapy program at Eastern Kentucky.

Patrick Kitzman

Patrick Kitzman is a professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Kentucky and the director of the Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network.