Family-Centered Occupational Therapy Shows Promise for Improving Play and Daily Skills in Young Autistic Children

September 5, 2026 1 Min Read

Study Explores Family-Centered Occupational Therapy in Hospital Setting

Study Design and Participants

The quasi-experimental study involved 19 autistic children aged between 2 and 6 years and their parents. Families chose to participate either in the FCOT Coaching Intervention group (9 children) or in a control group (10 children) receiving traditional therapy at community clinics, based on convenience factors such as transportation.

Intervention Details

The FCOT Coaching Intervention consisted of twice-weekly sessions lasting 30 minutes each, conducted over six months. These sessions emphasized coaching parents and setting family-centered goals tailored to each child’s needs. The control group continued with standard therapy available in their communities.

Key Findings

Children receiving FCOT coaching demonstrated statistically significant improvements in several areas compared to controls. Notably, gains were observed in adaptive behaviors (p = .021), daily living skills (p = .026), and attention during play activities (p = .035). Individualized goal assessments using Goal Attainment Scaling indicated meaningful progress in participation during play and daily activities for the intervention group.

Parental and Family Outcomes

Measures of parenting stress and overall family outcomes, assessed through standardized questionnaires, did not show significant differences between the two groups. This suggests that while child functional participation improved, parental stress levels remained stable during the intervention period.

Implications for Early Intervention

The findings support the potential benefits of integrating FCOT coaching into hospital-based early intervention programs for autistic children. Enhancing functional participation and play skills at a young age may contribute to better developmental trajectories. The study also highlights the importance of family involvement and individualized goal setting in therapy.

Limitations and Future Directions

As a quasi-experimental study with a small sample size and self-selection into groups, results should be interpreted with caution. The authors emphasize the need for larger-scale studies and long-term follow-up to better understand the sustained effects of FCOT coaching on children and families.

For more detailed information, see the original study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy: Enhancing Play and Daily Activities in Autistic Children: Family-Centered Occupational Therapy in a Hospital Setting.