Supporting Family Needs Through Yoga: Incorporating Coaching Techniques for Daily Routines.
Jessica Hatfield, Louise Burridge
Day: Thursday, Time: 15:30-15:55, Session: T99
Family mental health is crucial in today’s society. The increased pressures of parenting a child with a disability have led to a rise of parents report feeling stressed, tired, and rushed on quality time with their children, friends, and hobbies (Parker, Horowitz, Rohal, 2015). These stressors take a toll on the family as a unit. For families living with Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety Disorders, many parents report that the high demands associated with such diagnoses are, at times, overwhelming. An increase in prevalence of these diagnoses, validate the timeliness and need to identify evidence based interventions that improve quality of life of those living with these diagnoses and their families (Bridee, et al, 2009). To be effective, occupational therapy practitioners need to provide effective whole family interventions that address performance deficits, enable independence in daily living skills, and foster a sense of calmness and focus for all (Weaver & Darragh, 2015).
The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (2014) addresses achieving Health and Wellbeing through engagement in occupation for full participation in life. Vision 2025 states adds the critical element of OTs role of effective problem solving for developing solutions in daily life participation. By incorporating a technique such as Yoga, we are building self regulatory behaviors, not only for the child with a condition, but the family as a unit (Martini, Cramm, Egan & Sikora, 2016)
Yoga is a holistic mind-body practice which includes: postures, breathing, and meditation. These strategies, when taught correctly, provide bonding for families and alternatives to stressors. Yoga aligns effectively with theoretical constructs of occupational therapy to improve quality of life for participation in everyday living. Emerging research supports yoga as an effective intervention to optimize the physical and mental health of children, youth, and adults (Bridee, et al, 2009’ Koenig, Buckley-Reen & Garg, 2012). This session will provide occupational therapy providers with information on how Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety impact a family’s daily occupations, ways to assess the family as a whole, guidance in clinical reasoning for using yoga with the family, and practical approaches for using yoga in ways that are effective in supporting families living with Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety holistically. Implications for interventions woven into daily activities will be incorporated.
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