Executive function (EF) skills impact a broad range of functional developmental outcomes including academic success, social integration, motor coordination, independence in self-care, and community engagement, and are at the core of many challenges for children seen by pediatric occupational therapists (OTs). Yet limited evidence of an integrative OT framework addressing EF skills exists. While EF challenges are ubiquitous in pediatric practice, OTs still do not routinely incorporate EF into assessment or treatment. In response to this gap in therapeutic programming, this author developed the QUEST program.
QUEST, or QUESTION, EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, SELF-REGULATION THERAPY, is an innovative occupational therapy intervention designed for children three years and older that addresses regulatory and EF challenges in an integrative manner. QUEST combines Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, Zelazo’s Iterative Reprocessing Model, and Embodied Cognition to formulate a powerful change model for better outcomes. It is an evidence-based, non-academic learning program that works with the banded nature of the cognitive and regulatory systems, using discovery-oriented games and problem-solving tasks to help children learn to learn. Organized activity protocols direct therapeutic programs for ease of application while caregiver guidelines assist with transfer to the natural environment. QUEST will be disseminated to pediatric OTs via a 2-part continuing education course, initially launched in the San Francisco Bay Area and later disseminated via webinar to a national audience. Both program evaluation and in-depth single-subject research will be carried out to ensure best practice. Through the dissemination of this course, OTs will see improved awareness of the impact of EF in underlying performance challenges, higher levels of integrative programming amongst pediatric OTs, and improved pediatric outcomes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/44417 |
| Date | 11 May 2022 |
| Creators | Joffe, Lindy |
| Contributors | Doyle, Nancy W. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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