A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of the Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy for Children With Sensory Modulation Disorder

Headnote

KEY WORDS

* effectiveness

* occupational therapy

* pediatric

* sensory integration

* sensory modulation disorder (SMD)

* sensory processing

OBJECTIVE. A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the effectiveness of occupational therapy using a sensory integration approach (OT-SI) was conducted with children who had sensory modulation disorders (SMDs). This study evaluated the effectiveness of three treatment groups. In addition, sample size estimates for a large scale, multisite RCT were calculated.

METHOD. Twenty-four children with SMD were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions; OT-SI, Activity Protocol, and No Treatment. Pretest and posttest measures of behavior, sensory and adaptive functioning, and physiology were administered.

RESULTS. The OT-SI group, compared to the other two groups, made significant gains on goal attainment scaling and on the Attention subtest and the Cognitive/Social composite of the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised. Compared to the control groups, OT-SI improvement trends on the Short Sensory Profile, Child Behavior Checklist, and electrodermal reactivity were in the hypothesized direction.

CONCLUSION. Findings suggest that OT-SI may be effective in ameliorating difficulties of children with SMD.

Miller, L. J., Coll, J. R., & Schoen, S. A. (2007). A randomized controlled pilot study of the effectiveness of occupational therapy for children with sensory modulation disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61, 228-238.

The increasing emphasis in medicine on effective outcomes and cost containment highlights the need for evidence-based studies to improve patient care, provide effective use of limited resources, and improve policy making (Geyman, Deyo, & Ramsey, 2000; Sackett, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 1997; Tickle Degnen, 1999). In occupational therapy, this vital need has been emphasized by the recent surge of scholarly writings appealing for empirical outcomes research (Law & Baum, 1998; Pankiewicz, 1999; Taylor, 2000; Tickle-Degnen, 2000). Although the quality of published studies is improving (Holm, 2000), rigorous effectiveness studies in pediatrics are just beginning to emerge (Case-Smith & Bryan, 1999; Kinnealey, Koenig, & Huecker, 1999; Melchert-McKearnan, Deitz, Engel, & White, 2000).

A wealth of non-peer reviewed information is now available on the World Wide Web. In addition, new popular press publications are available (Aron, 2002; Ayres, Erwin, & Mailloux, 2004; Biel & Peske, 2005; Heller, 2002; Kranowitz, 2004, 2005; Miller, 2006; Smith & Gouze, 2004). Access to these sources is creating additional demands...