Nature-Based Pediatric Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Aims

Our purpose was to explore the scope of nature-based interventions used in pediatric occupational therapy and identify gaps in existing literature.

Methods

This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework. We searched CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase, MEDLine, and gray literature, and we hand-searched included articles’ references. We included studies published through June, 2021 that were in English, described a service provided by occupational therapists, with a population with at least 50% of participants ages 0–21 years, with nature as a primary context and treatment modality. Studies were excluded if they only described animal-assisted therapies or human-made structures.

Results

A total of 12 articles (two reporting quasi-experimental studies; 10 gray literature) met inclusion criteria. Articles described a variety of interventions, but there was a lack of rigor in included articles and no clear conceptualization of nature-based pediatric occupational therapy.

Conclusions

Despite practitioner interest in the topic, there are two primary gaps in the literature: lack of a clear conceptualization of nature-based practices for occupational therapy and lack of articulation of the unique contribution of occupational therapy to nature-based practices.

Keywords:

• Nature-based occupational therapy
• pediatrics
• scoping review

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Rob Sica, librarian at Colorado State University, for his guidance in searching the literature.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Hannah K. Burke

Hannah K. Burke, MS, OTR/L is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University.

Lynette M. Burke

Lynette M. Burke, OTR/L, is Co-Director at The Sensory Gym® in New South Wales, Australia.

Colleen G. Hacker

Colleen G. Hacker, MS, OTR, is Co-Director at The Sensory Gym® in New South Wales, Australia.

Shelly J. Lane

Shelly J. Lane, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Professor and Academic Program Director in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University.