I love the foundation of a coaching model within the therapeutic relationship. This empowers the families to acknowledge they are the experts on themselves and their child. It create connection, identifies strengths and ways to eliminate, modify or overcome barriers through planning, guidance, exploring and reflection. It supports problem solving in the contextual environment that children live, learn and play.
Often the child’s performance in interwoven into the fabric of life it is important to support the goals of the caregivers and uncover and enhance the way they are able to support their child in occupational mastery and participation in their life context. (Graham et al 2009, Graham et al 2015). This will support you as a caregiver to explore and learning the process of identifying strengths of both you and your child and what barriers are presented on a daily basis and how you would be able to adapt, enhance or modify the environment or learn stratigies or tools that will support occupational engagement.
Kessler, D. Graham, F. (2015) The use of coaching in occupational therapy: An integrative review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. Vol.62, Issue 3 (pp. 160-176)
Graham, F., Rodger, S., Ziviani, J. (2009) Coaching parents to enable children’s participation: An approach for working with parents and their children. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. Vol. 56, Issue 1 (pp16-23)
Graham, F., Rodger, S., Kennedy-Behr, A., (2017) Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC): Enabling Caregivers’ and Children’s Occupational Performance. As in Occupation-Centred Practice with Children: A practical guide for occupational therapists. (Pp. 209-232).