Becoming Critical Consumers of Evidence in Occupational Therapy for Children and Youth.

This special issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy on interventions for children and youth highlights the current developments in and evidence for the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions and psychometric properties of assessments for children and youth. In this guest editorial, we identify various factors that challenge the implementation of evidence-based strategies in daily clinical practice. We assert that scholars, educators, and practitioners need to address several strategic steps. To facilitate critical consumption of evidence in practice, efforts need to be made to build capacity for evidence production and evidence use through implementation science and to ensure that evidence-based practice is not only taught but also reflectively applied across the educational curriculum and that clinicians are given more access to resources that are easy to translate to daily clinical practice.

Interventions Supporting Mental Health and Positive Behavior in Children Ages Birth-5 Yr: A Systematic Review.

IMPORTANCE: It is critical for providers to use evidence-based interventions to address mental health and behavioral barriers to occupational performance during early childhood. OBJECTIVE: To identify evidence-based interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to improve mental health and positive behavior for children ages 0-5 yr and their families. DATA SOURCES: PsycINFO, Cochrane, ERIC, MEDLINE, and OTseeker databases were searched for publications from 2010 through March 2017. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA COLLECTION: This review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed for each article using either A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) or the Cochrane method. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were critically appraised. FINDINGS: Forty-six articles met inclusion criteria and were organized into three themes: touch-based interventions (n = 9), parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT; n = 4), and instruction-based interventions (n = 33). Statistically significant findings and overall risk of bias supported the use of touch-based interventions, PCIT, and parent training. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The evidence indicates that touch-based interventions can improve infant self-regulation (strong), social behavior, and attachment (moderate) and reduce maternal stress, anxiety, and depression (low). Moderate-strength evidence supports PCIT to improve child behavior. The evidence indicates that parent training can improve parent behavior, maternal-infant attachment (strong), and parent mental health (moderate). Teacher training can improve mental health and behavior (moderate). Group-based parent training and sleep training have insufficient support (low). WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: Occupational therapy professionals working with children younger than age 5 yr can use the results of this systematic review to guide clinical decision making related to mental health and behavioral outcomes.

Systematic Review of Yoga Interventions for Anxiety Reduction Among Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders among children and youths. There is growing interest in intervention options for anxiety. Yoga is widely used in clinical, school, and community settings, but consolidated sources outlining its effectiveness in reducing anxiety are limited. METHOD: This systematic review examined the evidence base (1990-2014) for yoga interventions addressing anxiety among children and adolescents (ages 3-18 yr). RESULTS: We identified 2,147 references and found 80 articles that were eligible for full-text review. The final analysis included 16: 6 randomized controlled trials, 2 nonrandomized preintervention-postintervention control-group designs, 7 uncontrolled preintervention-postintervention studies, and 1 case study. CONCLUSION: Nearly all studies indicated reduced anxiety after a yoga intervention. However, because of the wide variety of study populations, limitations in some study designs, and variable outcome measures, further research is needed to enhance the ability to generalize and apply yoga to reduce anxiety.

Effectiveness of Work, Activities of Daily Living, Education, and Sleep Interventions for People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To examine interventions addressing work, activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), education, and sleep for people with autism spectrum disorder. METHOD: A total of 23 studies were identified, and 9 work-, 11 ADL/IADL-, and 3 education-related interventions were examined. No sleep studies were identified. RESULTS: Use of mobile and tablet technologies for vocational skills was supported. Support for ADL/IADL intervention is variable, with indications that Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance, sensory integration, and contextual interventions may increase occupational performance. Preliminary evidence suggests that daily yoga and brief exercise may improve classroom performance and behavior; group physical activities may assist with school readiness variables. Evidence for using technologies for IADLs was limited, as was evidence determining effective interventions for feeding and eating issues. CONCLUSIONS: Studies investigating interventions related to sleep are lacking. More studies are needed in all areas, presenting opportunities for the expansion of science-driven occupational therapy practice and research for people with ASD.

A systematic review of sensory processing interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders.

Children with autism spectrum disorders often exhibit co-occurring sensory processing problems and receive interventions that target self-regulation. In current practice, sensory interventions apply different theoretic constructs, focus on different goals, use a variety of sensory modalities, and involve markedly disparate procedures. Previous reviews examined the effects of sensory interventions without acknowledging these inconsistencies. This systematic review examined the research evidence (2000-2012) of two forms of sensory interventions, sensory integration therapy and sensory-based intervention, for children with autism spectrum disorders and concurrent sensory processing problems. A total of 19 studies were reviewed: 5 examined the effects of sensory integration therapy and 14 sensory-based intervention. The studies defined sensory integration therapies as clinic-based interventions that use sensory-rich, child-directed activities to improve a child's adaptive responses to sensory experiences. Two randomized controlled trials found positive effects for sensory integration therapy on child performance using Goal Attainment Scaling (effect sizes ranging from .72 to 1.62); other studies (Levels III-IV) found positive effects on reducing behaviors linked to sensory problems. Sensory-based interventions are characterized as classroom-based interventions that use single-sensory strategies, for example, weighted vests or therapy balls, to influence a child's state of arousal. Few positive effects were found in sensory-based intervention studies. Studies of sensory-based interventions suggest that they may not be effective; however, they did not follow recommended protocols or target sensory processing problems. Although small randomized controlled trials resulted in positive effects for sensory integration therapies, additional rigorous trials using manualized protocols for sensory integration therapy are needed to evaluate effects for children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory processing problems.

Minimal depression: how does it relate to upper-extremity impairment and function in stroke?

OBJECTIVE. We sought to determine the association between minimal depression, upper-extremity (UE) impairment, and UE motor function in a cohort of participants with subacute stroke. METHOD. We conducted a retrospective, secondary analysis of an interventional study. Correlational analyses were performed using the following outcome measures: the UE section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FM), the functional ability section of the Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). RESULTS. We found a negative correlation between BDI-II and both the FM (-.120, p = .196) and the AMAT (-.110, p = .275); however, this correlation was not statistically significant. Women exhibited higher depression scores (8.75 ± 0.78) than men (6.29 ± 0.46; p = .008). CONCLUSION. Low levels of depression are not associated with UE motor impairment and function in people with minimal to moderate UE disability levels. Poststroke depression occurs more frequently in women, warranting additional research on sex-specific differences. Given the proliferation of UE therapies targeting this group, this information is important for effective therapy planning and implementation.