1.The effectiveness of occupational therapy for Children with Developmental Disabilities: A case study
Bulganchimeg S ; Myendigul B ; Tuyajargal T ; Tungalag G ; Khongorzul Ts ; Erdenetsetseg M
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2025;87(3):116-122
Background:
Children with developmental disabilities benefit from
support in motor skills, sensory processing, cognitive development, and
social skills. Mongolia has trained occupational therapists for a decade,
with 37% specializing in pediatrics, but long-term therapy facilities remain
limited.
Aim:
This study provides a case report on a child with
developmental disabilities who received occupational therapy to evaluate
improvements in sensory processing, social communication, and
daily living skills.
Materials and Methods:
The study participants were
purposively selected from children undergoing occupational therapy at
the “Enerel” Child Development Center. Participant A is a 16-year-old
male with hearing and speech impairments, as well as an intellectual
disability. The initial assessment showed poor sensory processing and
behavioral problems and communication difficulties. A tailored program
incorporating sensory-based therapies, communication cards, and sign
language was developed with caregiver collaboration. Occupational
therapy was conducted five times weekly for 11 weeks. Pre and post
test assessments included goal attainment scaling (GAS) and Sensory
profile 2 (Child).
Results:
The participant showed improved communication
using cards and sign language, better emotional regulation,
enhanced sensory processing, and reduced hyperactivity to external
stimuli. Goal Achievement (GAS) +2, meaning the goal was achieved
better than expected and positive changes were found on the Sensory
profile 2, with large effect sizes.
Conclusion
The study found that sensory-
based occupational therapy and sign language training improved
occupational performance and goal achievement in children with sensory,
behavioral, and communication difficulties.
2.Core Competencies of the Occupational Therapy Program: Consensus developed by a modified Delphi survey combined with the nominal group technique
Bulganchimeg S ; Erdenetsetseg M ; Batgerel O ; Solongo S ; Oyungoo O
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2025;87(3):200-205
Background:
The learning outcomes of a program are defined by the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes that students are expected to acquire by the end of
the curriculum. For occupational therapy professionals, it is essential to successfully
implement both pre-graduation and post-graduation programs and to
assess the effectiveness of the curriculum by clearly identifying the competencies
expected of graduates in society.
Aim:
To identify the core competencies required for training occupational
therapists at both pre-graduation and post-graduation levels.
Materials and Methods:
A modified Delphi method combined with Nominal
Group Technique (NGT) was employed. The study was conducted in three
phases from April 2022 to May 2024. In the initial online survey, a total of 83
participants were involved, including occupational therapy students, graduates,
and members of the Mongolian Association of Occupational Therapists.
A nominal group consisting of four experts held several focus group discussions
to review and vote on the proposed competencies, forming a revised
list. In the final phase (second-round Delphi), the updated list was distributed
online again to collect additional feedback.
Results:
A total of 136 individuals participated in the online surveys throughout
the study. The final list of competencies was synthesized based on three
main international standards: the World Federation of Occupational Therapists
(WFOT) Minimum Standards for Education (2016), the Canadian Association
of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) Profile of Occupational Therapy Practice
(2012), and the TUNING Educational Competencies in Europe. Through five
rounds of NGT meetings, one online scoring session, and a final Delphi round,
a total of 12 program learning outcomes (PLOs), 198 core competencies for
the pre-graduation level, and 86 competencies for the post-graduation level
were identified.
Conclusion
By applying consensus techniques, we developed a structured
list of core competencies at both the basic and advanced levels aligned with
the 12 program learning outcomes (PLOs) of the occupational therapy curriculum.
This list can serve as a practical reference framework for future curriculum
design and professional training programs in the occupational therapy.