BackgroundA randomized controlled trial of three school-based programs and a no-intervention control group was conducted to evaluate their efficacy in reducing eating disorder and obesity risk factors.MethodA total of 1316 grade 7 and 8 girls and boys (mean age = 13.21 years) across three Australian states were randomly allocated to: Media Smart; Life Smart; the Helping, Encouraging, Listening and Protecting Peers (HELPP) initiative; or control (usual school class). Risk factors were measured at baseline, post-program (5 weeks later), and at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups.ResultsMedia Smart girls had half the rate of onset of clinically significant concerns about shape and weight than control girls at the 12-month follow-up. Media Smart and HELPP girls reported significantly lower weight and shape concern than Life Smart girls at the 12-month follow-up. Media Smart and control girls scored significantly lower than HELPP girls on eating concerns and perceived pressure at the 6-month follow-up. Media Smart and HELPP boys experienced significant benefit on media internalization compared with control boys and these were sustained at the 12-month follow-up in Media Smart boys. A group × time effect found that Media Smart participants reported more physical activity than control and HELPP participants at the 6-month follow-up, while a main effect for group found Media Smart participants reported less screen time than controls.ConclusionsMedia Smart was the only program to show benefit on both disordered eating and obesity risk factors. Whilst further investigations are indicated, this study suggests that this program is a promising approach to reducing risk factors for both problems.

Sound-based interventions (SBIs) are being used by paediatric occupational therapists to help children with autism spectrum disorders and co-morbid sensory processing disorders. A limited yet growing body of evidence is emerging related to the efficacy of SBIs in reducing sensory processing deficits among paediatric clients with co-morbid conditions. The current study employed an ABA single-subject case-controlled design, implementing The Listening Program® with a 7-year-old child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who demonstrated auditory sensory over-responsivity (SOR). The intervention consisted of 10 weeks of psycho-acoustically modified classical music that was delivered using specialized headphones and amplifier and a standard CD player. Repeated measures were conducted during the A(1), B and A(2) phases of the study using the Sensory Processing Measure, a subjective caregiver questionnaire, and the Sensory Over-Responsivity Scales, an examiner-based assessment measure to track changes of the participant's auditory SOR-related behaviours. The results indicated that the participant exhibited a decrease in the number of negative (avoidant, verbal and physical negative) and self-stimulatory behaviours. The decreases in negative and self-stimulatory behaviour may have been due to the therapeutic effect of the repeated exposure to the Sensory Over-Responsivity Scales or The Listening Program SBI.

Occupational therapy practitioners across all practice settings were surveyed in order to determine whether practitioners were assessing substance use disorders, and what interventions were used with clients who have or were suspected to have substance use disorders. Reasons practitioners did not address a clients' substance use disorder were explored. The perceptions of practitioners regarding their competence to assess and treat substance use disorders were also examined. The results of this study indicated that the majority of occupational therapy practitioners sampled outside the mental health setting did not routinely assess or treat substance use disorders. The findings of this study suggest that practitioners need to incorporate assessment and treatment of substance use disorders and their subsequent occupational performance deficits into daily practice regardless of practice area to assure holistic and comprehensive treatment.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a series of online, module-based instructional reusable learning objects (RLOs) targeted at entry-level, 1st year, Master of Occupational Therapy students. The content of the RLOs addressed knowledge and implementation of A SECRET, a parental reasoning approach for children with a sensory processing disorder, specifically sensory over responsiveness. Nine RLOs were developed and embedded within a commonly used learning management system. Participants (n = 8) were evaluated regarding their ability to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate A SECRET strategies using a selected-response assessment. The participants' overall average score was 68%, a positive finding given the novelty of the instruction, assessment, and the content.

Background: Research shows that religious and spiritual beliefs influence a person's health and quality of life. Studies have found that religious people are healthier and require less access to health services, and that clients want to have their religious and spiritual needs addressed as a part of their plan of care.

With an increased demand arising from stake holders to provide more complex clinical experiences and to have students better prepared for clinical rotations, educators need to develop instructional tasks and measures to teach and assess clinical reasoning. The purpose of this article is to highlight a clinical simulation measure revolving around the A SECRET reasoning approach, which is also generalizable to other conditions and interventions. Preliminary findings of 1st year Master of Occupational Therapy students (n = 8) who took part in a pilot of the A SECRET case scenario reported positive, yet not strong, attitudes toward the A SECRET assessment and the sensory processing related content delivered in an online format as a part of a larger study. Overall the student perceptions and the processes of the measure development suggest an inherent value of using the proposed type of simulated case scenarios in assisting occupational therapy students in their program's first year with the development of clinical reasoning.

Background/Aim: The Listening Program (TLP) is a sound-based intervention that claims to treat the behavioural challenges of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum with sensory processing difficulties. There is a paucity of peer-reviewed evidence supporting its use. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TLP reduces sensory over-responsitivity (SOR) to auditory stimuli. Methods: Data were collected over a 28-week period using an ABAB multiple events case-control design of testing and treatment intervals to capture the responses of three participants to TLP. Results: Graphs from repeated measures data were drawn to analyse the direction and level of trend lines. There was a high variability of responses, with participants responding positively and others negatively at different stages of the study. Conclusions: The results lend some support to the use of TLP with children on the autism spectrum who are experiencing auditory SOR.

Individuals with Serious mental illness require psychosocial treatments as adjunct to pharmacotherapy to promote recovery. An ACT team was trained in CBT interventions and charts were reviewed to identify sessions where CBT was utilized. Subjects who received at least 3 sessions of CBT went from 10% before training to 44% after training and 54% in the follow up period. All team members including bachelor's level staff provided CBT interventions. Results show that ACT Team members including those at bachelor's level can be trained in CBT and they utilize these interventions after training is completed.