Despite the recent advances in the field of cognitive neuroscience and the role of interoception in promoting behavioral regulation, few occupational therapy intervention practices have adopted the concept into their approach. This paper explores the impact of school-based occupational therapy intervention based on mindfulness and interoceptive awareness in promoting behavioral regulation among 3rd–5th-grade children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The intervention program, titled Mind-Body Integration program (MBI), is delivered to a special education classroom via weekly 30-minute sessions for 26 weeks during the school year. The author completed a pilot study of the program in two elementary school special education classrooms. Twenty-three students with NDDs participated in the study and 17 completed the data collection. Data was collected on emotional and behavioral regulation as well as interoceptive bodily awareness. Assessment measures included Behavior Rating of Executive Functions, 2nd edition (BRIEF-2); Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness- youth (MAIA); and a teacher survey. The results demonstrate significant positive changes in student reported attentional regulation, emotional awareness, body listening, and self-regulation. There were no significant negative changes reported on the parent-reported BRIEF-2. However, the teacher survey indicated significant negative changes in behavioral regulation. Overall, the pilot study was found to be feasible to implement and cost-effective. These findings suggest that the MBI program holds promise as an effective intervention for enhancing behavioral regulation in children with NDDs and highlights the importance of incorporating mindfulness and interoceptive awareness in occupational therapy practice within school settings. Further research and modifications to the program are warranted to optimize its effectiveness and address potential challenges.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/46605 |
| Date | 24 August 2023 |
| Creators | Shah, Minal J. |
| Contributors | Jacobs, Karen |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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