The P4C Research Study

Occupational Therapist Training in the Research Study

Occupational therapists delivered school-based services to children in 40 schools in a different way; moving from a direct, one-to-one intervention model targeting motor impairment to a population-based approach. The OTs who delivered the Partnering for Change (P4C) service received extensive training and support. A comprehensive educational and mentorship program developed by the research team and expert clinicians facilitated this significant shift in practice.

  • All P4C OTs attended training workshops and received ongoing mentorship each month.
  • P4C training was evidence-based and delivered by expert clinicians who had prior experience delivering the P4C model of service.

Extensive Training

All 22 of the OTs who provided P4C services across the two years of the project participated in training at the start of each school year, completed eight learning modules, and received ongoing mentorship from an expert OT who led monthly meetings in each region. It is important to note that the study initially focused on service provision to children who had Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The focus shifted in Year 2 to include other children with diverse special needs.

  • Module 1: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) (Part 1)
  • Module 2: DCD (Part 2) Secondary Complications and Co-Occurrences
  • Module 3: Introduction to the P4C Model and Promoting Sustainable Change
  • Module 4: Understanding the Ontario School System: Speaking the Same Language
  • Module 5: Understanding the P4C Model: The Response to Intervention Pyramid (RtI)
  • Module 6: Assessment within the P4C Model
  • Module 7: OT Skills for the Tip of the RtI Pyramid – Mediational Techniques and M.A.T.C.H. Strategies
  • Module 8: Promoting Sustainable Change through Knowledge Translation and Coaching

This diagram illustrates the process used to select, train and support OTs as they provided the P4C service. The OTs providing service at the expansion schools in Year 2 also completed the eight learning modules and participated in a training workshop at the start of service provision.

P4C Training Summary