OTs Should Be Using Video Modeling to Teach Self-Care to Children with NDDs

An evidence-based project aimed at finding whether utilizing video modeling as an occupational therapy (OT) intervention increased basic self-care skills in school-aged children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). A total of 11 pediatric outpatient OT clients, 6–12 years old, with one or more NDDs, participated in this project. Pre- and post-intervention surveys completed by their parents garnered information regarding parental views on their children's self-care skills, parental stress, and quality of life. Real-time data gathered during the intervention revealed the efficacy of video modeling, showing an overall increase in the completion of basic self-care skills from 16.1% at baseline to 96.4%. Meaningful gains were achieved in all eight self-care skills addressed and with all participants, elucidating a combined mean percentage of 79.3% improvement using video modeling. Post-intervention, qualitative data showed resultant perspectives of less parental stress, improved quality of life for the children and their parents, and improved independence with basic self-care skills. Considering the increasing diagnosis of NDDs, the call for evidence-based interventions from both payers and NDD-related organizations, and the future socioeconomic ramifications of not addressing basic self-care skills, this project reveals the efficacy of video modeling as a viable, accessible, cost-effective intervention which can be utilized across environments to address these concerns.