The Effectiveness of Telehealth-Based Family-Centered Early Intervention

Summary

Background: Children with developmental delays or sensory processing disorders (SPD) face challenges in processing and integrating sensory information from their environment, which can lead to behavioral, learning, and social issues. Visual-vestibular stimulation activities target fundamental abilities such as balance, coordination, and sensory processing, which are crucial for many developmental areas. Past literature supports the use of digital media as a medium to provide ongoing home-based occupational therapy interventions for children who are unable to receive in-person treatment, with opportunities for caregiver-guided interventions. Therefore, this project is designed based on the \"1001 Children\'s Therapy Activities\" model as the foundation for behavioral intervention, combining parent and child participation in play to establish effective home activities and execution, aiming to enhance children\'s visual perception and posture-movement performance, thereby improving learning outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the impact of a \"Telehealth Visual and Vestibular Home Program\" that integrates parent and child activity participation on children\'s visual perceptual performance and posture-movement effects.

Method: Caregivers of children attending early intervention clinics at a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan are recruited and randomly assigned to either a remote group (N=30) or a waitlist group (N=30). The remote group receives a 6-week visual and vestibular home course; the waitlist group will participate after a 6-week. Assessments using the Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP-2), the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2), and a course satisfaction questionnaire are conducted before and after the intervention.

Data Analysis: Basic data are presented using descriptive statistics, and t tests are used to compare pre- and post-training assessment mean values. Statistical analysis is performed using SPSS 26.0, with a significance level set at Alpha\<0.05.

Conditions

• Children Receiving Early Intervention
• Visual Perception Performance
• Effects of Posture and Movement

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Telehealth home activity

Several course activities with diverse sensory modalities are provided a week. Caregivers or caretakers need to help children participate in the course content and implement relevant suggestions at least 3-5 times a week for six weeks. The research will be conducted on an online platform. Course announcements, reminders and confirmation of work execution, through caregivers\' feedback records, urge caregivers to engage in parent-child games related to sensory integration and integrated into life at home. Such high-frequency, short-term sensory activities will be adapted to the equipment available at home. It will mainly focus on movement planning, bilateral integration/crossing the midline, vestibular system , visual perception, visual-motor integration, eye movements, core strength activities and Activities focused on balance ability.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

3 Years

Max Age

7 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-12-01

Primary Completion

2025-07-31

Completion

2025-08-31

Countries

• Taiwan

Study Locations