Improvement in Preschoolers' Participation as a Result of Occupational Therapy Intervention

A Prospective Cohort Study to Examine the Improvement in Preschoolers' Participation as a Result of Occupational Therapy Intervention

This study evaluates the improvement of participation in everyday occupation among preschool children with mild developmental disabilities as a result of Occupational Therapy intervention.

Preschoolers suffering from mild developmental disabilities are being referred to Occupational Therapy (OT) clinics according to limitation in participating of daily occupations. As well these children often demonstrate behavior or emotional difficulties. The primary treatment goal is promoting participation yet many times the treatment focuses on child's performance skills and not on occupation based activities. Respectively its outcome measures are the child performance skills. This study will document the therapeutic intervention, and evaluate its impact on child participation as well on his performance skills and emotional aspects. Participants will be recruited from waiting list for Occupational Therapy at Clalit Health services, Child Development Institute, and will be evaluate four times. First time on referral to waiting list ( At the present time due to long waiting list, children are waiting about three to four months before starting OT intervention), second time before treatment, third time after three of treatments and last follow-up after three months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• kindergarten students of regular education
• Hebrew speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students of special education
• Attending physiotherapy or psychology treatments
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Cerebral Palsy
• Spina Bifida
• Developmental Intellectual Disabilities
• Blindness
• Deafness