ABSTRACT

Objective : To develop a home-based sensory integration program and evaluate its effects on the sensory processing skills and ADL of developmentally delayed children.Methods : Using a case-control research design, a patient group was derived from sixty-two -7 to 36 month old- developmentally delayed children who had been treated by occupational therapists in a Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at a Medical Center in Seoul. The data were obtained by dividing the children into two groups: a control group of 30 subjects, and an experimental group of 32 subjects. This home-based sen-sory integration program, which takes 30 minutes a day during 8 weeks, can be easily conducted by parents without the use of any instruments. An independent t-test was used to ascertain the differences between the groups, and a paired t-test was used to ascertain the differences within each group. Next, causality statistics were used to investigate the effects of the home-based program on ADL and sensory development.Results : Compared to the control group, the experiment group treated by the home-based program showed statistically significant improvements in Low Registration.Conclusion : The home-based sensory integration program showed its effectiveness in developing a sensory profile for children with delayed development, and in helping their parents care for them at home.