The impact of a parent education workshop about children’s sensory processing differences on parental sense of competence

Aims. This study aimed to: (1) examine the impact of a parent education
workshop on the parental sense of competence (PSOC) of parents of children
with sensory processing differences (SPD); and (2) explore parents’
perspectives regarding workshop content and delivery. Methods. This pilot
study was a randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Parents were recruited
from a neurodevelopmental assessment waitlist (for their children) and
randomly selected to attend one of two identical workshops (two weeks
apart). The workshops provided education about SPD and strategies for
managing children’s behaviors related to SPD. The PSOC Scale and
demographics and feedback questionnaires were administered to all parents
before and after each workshop. Descriptive statistics and content
analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data,
respectively. Results. Nine parents were recruited (six in the
experimental group, three in the control group). PSOC Scale scores
increased following workshop attendance. Three overarching themes of
workshop components contributed to an enhanced PSOC: (1) learning specific
strategies, (2) reframing children’s behavior, and (3) peer support.
Conclusions. Parent education workshops showed promise for enhancing PSOC
of parents of children with SPD. PSOC can promote positive mental health
outcomes for parents, and help them to support their children’s
occupational performance.