Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) serve an essential role to support children with disabilities; thus, they need efficient training. The one-on-one coaching following a workshop was compared with a control group that only received a workshop. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two of the five public special education schools in Zaragoza (Spain); seventeen paraprofessionals and thirty-seven children participated voluntarily. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was administered pre and post-intervention to evaluate changes in the participation of children with disabilities. Questionnaires for assessing competencies and needs were issued for both groups of SNAs, and the kinds of goals and the adaptations required were analysed. The intervention was guided by an occupational therapist (OT). Children in the intervention group showed significant gains in goals identified by assistant and therapist. However, both groups of SNAs indicated they had improved their skills. Through collaboration with OTs, SNAs can implement practices that enhance children’ participation in activities of daily living in natural environments. SNAs’ training should be carried out according to their real demands and the needs of the children they support.

Assistants serve an essential role in special education to support children with disabilities, but they should be properly trained and supervised. The coaching approach represents one trend that has been gradually implemented in occupational therapy (OT) and rehabilitation services. Still, few studies clearly define the coaching intervention, measure the fidelity of coaching practices, or evaluate capacity building of the caregivers in the long term. This quasi-experimental study compared one-on-one coaching in natural environments following a workshop with a training workshop. Both public schools do not have regular OT services. The primary outcome was the assistant’s performance, measured with the Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS). The secondary outcome was the fidelity of coaching implementation, measured with the Coaching Practices Rating Scale (CPRS). The GAS showed an increased performance of the assistants after the intervention, with significant differences between groups post-intervention (p = 0.015) and large effect size (r = 0.55), but no long-term significant improvements were found at the follow-up (p = 0.072). The CPRS showed an adequate implementation of the five coaching components (joint planning, observation, action, reflection, and feedback), with a total score of 3.5 ± 0.72 (mean ± SD). The results suggest that coaching sessions provided by OTs in schools may improve assistants’ skills to facilitate the student’s participation.

AimsInterdisciplinary collaboration between health and education professionals is one of the principles of inclusive education. This study aimed to describe the practices and service delivery by pediatric occupational therapists (OTs) in schools in Spain.MethodsData came from a convenience sample of pediatric OTs recruited through Spanish professional colleges and associations for a web-based survey, mixed-method research study. Thirty-five respondents were excluded because they didn't meet the eligibility criteria. Ninety-two responses were obtained for data analysis. Twenty-nine OTs (31.5%) work in schools (school-OTs), and sixty-three participants (68.5%) don't work there but collaborate with schools (non-school OTs).ResultsParticipants support students with and without a medical diagnosis. Services provided by OTs external to the educational system are mainly funded by families or only partially covered. Findings show that most participants use standardized assessments and apply several intervention approaches. They believe there are barriers to the collaboration and implementation of occupational therapy services in schools.ConclusionsThis preliminary study shows a need for changes in Spain's State and Regional Education legislation and provides recommendations to improve school service delivery. Pediatric OTs are encouraged to reflect on and identify opportunities for changes to enhance school-based occupational therapy practice in Spain.

The primary aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between ocular motility and motor skills in school-age children. Participants included 142 schoolchildren (mean age: 7.08 ± 0.61 years) who completed a computerised version of the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test while their eye movements were recorded, and Northeastern State University College of Optometry's Oculomotor test (NSUCO). Children were classified into three groups based on their level of motor performance, which was measured by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2). The group with typical motor performance had higher percentiles for both vertical and horizontal time, fewer errors, number of saccades, fixations, and regressions, and faster test performance. Visual test results correlate with the motor assessment outcomes; correlations are weak or moderate. Our findings emphasise the interconnectedness of motor and ocular motility. Hence, including evaluation of visual and motor proficiencies at school age would help to detect struggles in these crucial areas of development.

Executive functions (EFs) and motor skills are essential for many school and daily tasks. Many school-based occupational therapists need help addressing EFs. The current study aims to provide new insights into the relationship between executive functions and motor development by considering confounding factors. Ninety-six second-grade children were tested in one state-funded (public) school and another state-subsidised private school. Children were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), Neuropsychological Assessment of Executive Functions in Children, and Test of Perception of Differences–R. Families completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, and teachers completed a previous questionnaire and subsequently evaluated the information the occupational therapist provided. Mixed results were obtained regarding the correlation between motor and executive skills. Furthermore, children who received worse scores on the MABC-2 had more difficulties on the EFs tests. The Impulsivity Control Index was not correlated with any motor variable. Our results show that sociodemographic variables (except gender) correlate more with EFs than motor skills. The teachers showed a high degree of agreement with the occupational therapist (4.0 ± 0.8), even in children with good academic performance. They expressed the need for additional training and classroom interventions. A joint vision of motor-executive functioning can facilitate the design of effective interventions, especially in schools with more disadvantaged populations.

To explore differences in saccadic eye movements between children with oculomotor dysfunction and those in a control group across three age groups, using two assessment methods: the subjective Northeastern State University College of Optometry (NSUCO) Oculomotor test and objective analysis with the Tobii Eye X Eye Tracker (Tobii Eye X, Tobii, Stockholm, Sweden). This study included 31 children (ages 7-13) diagnosed with oculomotor dysfunction and 16 age-matched children in the control group. Participants were divided into three age groups: group 1 (7-8 years), group 2 (9-11 years), and group 3 (12-13 years). Saccadic eye movements were evaluated and compared using two methods: the NSUCO test and the Tobii Eye X eye tracker, along with specialized software analysis (Thomson Software Solutions, Welham Green, UK) RESULTS: Children in the oculomotor dysfunction group obtained significantly lower NSUCO scores (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Regarding eye tracking analyses, a significantly higher number of hypometric saccades were found in oculomotor dysfunction group (p ≤ 0.044). Additionally, in this group a significantly higher percentage of regressions was observed for a 1-second stimulus presentation interval (p = 0.012). Significant correlations were found between different NSUCO scores and the percentage of regressions, the number of completed saccades and the number of hypometric saccades. The presence of hypometric saccades and regressions appears to be a distinguishing characteristic of children with oculomotor dysfunction, detectable through both objective eye tracking analysis and the subjective NSUCO test, which can be easily implemented in clinical settings.