Parent engagement and disengagement in paediatric settings: an occupational therapy perspective

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to understand parent engagement and disengagement in the delivery of occupational therapy to their children.

Methods: This study used a qualitative interpretive description methodology. Focus groups and individual interviews were employed. Thirty-two occupational therapists participated in focusgroups or one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results: Thematic analysis of the data revealed two overarching themes which influenced parent engagement and disengagement in therapy: (1) Parent-therapist relationship and; (2) Therapist responsiveness. Within these two themes: parent feelings; time and timing of therapy; levels of engagement and factors influencing parent engagement were evident.

Conclusions: Findings contribute to understanding parent engagement and disengagement in therapy. The findings extend current models of therapeutic engagement in occupational therapy informed by self-determination theory (SDT). Autonomy-, relatedness- and competence-supportive SDT strategies to enhance parent engagement in therapy are described.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Occupational therapists reported that parents experience a range of feelings when engaged and disengaged in therapy. These feelings related to hopelessness, having confidence in the therapist and feeling supported, validated and empowered.

• Parent engagement and disengagement in therapy was described by occupational therapists as occurring at different levels: when it works well (engaged); engaged in the idea of therapy but not engaged in the doing of therapy (middle ground engagement); and when it doesn’t work well (disengagement).

• Occupational therapists reported the importance of being aware of how the factor of time and family, service and therapist characteristics can variously impact parent engagement in therapy.

• Occupational therapists focus on the parent-therapist relationship and being responsive to parent needs and feelings when engaging parents in therapy.

• Occupational therapists can draw on principles from self-determination theory to guide them regarding the selection of strategies to engage parents in therapy.

Keywords:

• Family
• involvement
• rehabilitation
• participation
• disability
• child

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the occupational therapists who participated in this research. We would also like to acknowledge the contribution Sinead O’Brien and Jamie Hunter made to this paper and thank them for their input. The authors would like to thank Dr Lisa Chiarello, Dr Roger Ideishi, Dr Gillian King, Dr Robert Pilasano and members of the engagement team who provided feedback during presentation of preliminary findings. Finally, the authors want to thank Michelle Phoenix for her input and review of the final paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.