South Shore Therapies Research in Norwood and Hingham, MA

South Shore Therapies strives to keep families and therapists updated on the most current research topics that impact our children. The bulletin boards in our Norwood and Hingham clinics target specific learning opportunities each month for parents and caregivers, provide helpful community resources, and current research studies your child may be eligible to participate in.

South Shore Therapies is currently conducting a caregiver questionairre study to obtain qualitative data on outcomes of sensory integration treatement received at our clinics. We plan to utilize parent/caregiver responses to open-ended questions to gain insights regarding their perception of positive change with sensory integration therapy.

Research STUDIES

South Shore Therapies is a training facility for occupational and speech therapy student interns and clinical fellows. As part of our partnership with a variety of strong college programs we collaborate with occupational therapy doctoral students to provide research opportunities at South Shore Therapies.

Projects completed by doctoral students include:

• Lehr, V., Sullivan, A., Champagne, T., & Szklut, S. (2023). Trauma-Informed, Sensory-Based Pediatric Occupational Therapy Interventions: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(Supplement_1), 7610510235p1. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.77S2-PO60 
• Occupational Therapy Outcomes that Matter: Parents’ Goals for their Children with Sensory Processing Challenges by Kristina Hancock, OTD, Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
• Parental Report vs. Objective Measurement of Children’s Sensory, Motor, and Praxis Skills by Gina Khalid, OTD, Mass General Hospital Institute of Health Professions
• Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy and Self-Confidence: A Report on Advanced Clinical Practice and Research Probe Development by Barry James, OTD, Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS

Our OT research team continues to have a strong presence at national AOTA conferences across the United States. Presentations highlight our successful therapeutic and educational programs, as well as our current research.

Samples of posters presented at the national AOTA conference include:

• Utilizing AOTA’s Practice Framework as a Guideline for Developing Functional Goals in Pediatric Practice

• Creating Sensitive, Objective measurements to Demonstrate Positive Outcomes of Ayres SI
• The Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Coping Skills and its Impact on Occupational Performance in Children: A Literature Review
• A Structured Model to Promote Clinical Competency in Staff
• Level II Fieldwork in Sensory Integration: Utilizing a Structured Fieldwork Program to Promote Competency
• Fostering Student Success at a Level II Pediatric Fieldwork Placement