OTA 2320 OT Modalities III Lecture

 For my modalities class, I had the opportunity to co-lead a group treatment session at the Utah Parent Center (UPC), focusing on the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model developed by Dr. Ross Greene. The UPC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting parents and families of children with disabilities. It provides free resources, training, and guidance to help families navigate the challenges of raising children with special needs. Our group was designed to work with parents of children with a range of disabilities and ages. Some of the strengths of this population include their determination, resilience, passion for getting the best care for their families, and openness to learning. Although 15 parents had signed up for the session, only four attended—a mix of two couples, one with teenagers and the other with a three-year-old. This population faces numerous challenges, including financial strain, mental and emotional health struggles, barriers to accessing adequate education for their children, lack of respite care, and social stigma and isolation

We used the Behavior Cognitive Continuum model. The Behavior Cognitive Continuum model is an appropriate choice for this intervention because it aligns with the group’s goals of helping parents manage challenging behaviors while enhancing communication and family dynamics. This model focuses on cognitive strategies with behavioral interventions, making it helpful for addressing the complex relationship between behavior and thought processes. By focusing on the parents’ ability to understand behaviors as forms of communication, the model encourages cognitive shifts that help parents respond to their children's actions in a more holistic way. Through the cognitive restructuring of how parents perceive and react to behaviors, this approach helps families participate in their meaningful occupations.

         We had two goals for our group: first, that participants would be able to teach back the three steps of Dr. Greene’s CPS model, and second, that they would understand that behavior is a form of communication. The focus of our intervention was on parents’ roles and routines, particularly in finding ways to adjust family routines to better meet the needs of both children and caregivers.

On the night of the session, everything went smoothly. We began with the introduction, where participants shared a bit about their families and a core family value. This led to our activity, which focused on introducing a new approach to behavior management that aligned with their values. We taught the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model using handouts as references. To make the learning interactive, we prepared a role-play activity and had two participants volunteer to demonstrate. Throughout the session, there was plenty of interaction, with participants sharing questions and ideas. We ended with the final steps of the group process: sharing, processing, generalizing, application, and summary. Although these steps went well, we found ourselves rushed for time toward the end

         I co-led this group with another student, and we worked well together. Our similar perspectives on behavior modification made planning easy, and we both contributed to the group’s success. However, we encountered challenges in clarifying the expectations with the UPC. But by clearly expressing our needs, we were able to figure it out. During the session itself, time management proved to be a challenge. The participants were willing to share a lot, but we should have redirected the discussion at one point to stay on track. As a result, we didn’t have enough time at the end and went slightly over the allotted time.

         This assignment was an excellent opportunity to grow as a group leader. Initially, I spoke too quickly when addressing the group, which is a common problem for me. But I noticed this early on and consciously slowed down. By the end, I felt more confident in my abilities. As a future OTA, I want to continue building confidence in leading groups, slowing my pace, and providing constructive feedback to participants. Overall, this was a valuable experience, and I learned a great deal about leading a group intervention.