How Parent Coaching Enhances Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Parent coaching is a natural part of pediatric occupational therapy. If you work with children, you’re likely already doing it. From talking with parents at school IEP meetings to updating them on their child’s session in the clinic and making suggestions for home, parent coaching often happens organically, even without labeling it as such.

As occupational therapists, we’re uniquely positioned to help parents understand their child’s needs. We have the knowledge to support development, participation, and function—and the skills to empower parents in their everyday routines.

Why parent coaching matters in pediatric occupational therapy

Many parents face daily challenges and stressors that leave them unsure of where to start or how to best support their child. Unlike traditional occupational therapy models, a parent coaching approach helps increase caregiver knowledge and confidence, reducing stress within the home.

With this approach, therapists can share practical and functional strategies that support not only the child but the entire family. By working in partnership with parents and caregivers, occupational therapists help them build confidence and become the experts on their child’s needs.

How parent coaching supports progress beyond the clinic

Research and best practices show that parent involvement helps children thrive. Children whose parents had a high level of participation in occupational therapy sessions showed significantly greater developmental progress than those with moderate or low involvement.¹

When parents and caregivers are actively engaged in the therapeutic process, coaching helps transform that involvement into consistent, meaningful participation. It also makes strategies more accessible and easier to carry out across everyday routines.

The importance of therapist–parent collaboration is also well established. When therapists actively involve caregivers in the treatment process, it supports the child’s progress and enhances the parent’s understanding of therapeutic strategies and goals.²

That understanding allows caregivers to respond more effectively in the moment and adapt strategies as their child’s needs evolve. This collaborative approach also creates space to address caregiver concerns in a timely, supportive way, helping families feel heard, respected, and involved in decision-making.

Therapists can address real-world challenges in real time by delivering coaching in the child’s natural environment, whether at home or in familiar routines. This strengthens carryover, reduces stress, and helps families build lasting momentum.

10 ways to support families through parent coaching

Parent coaching allows occupational therapists to meet families where they are, providing practical, personalized strategies that fit into everyday routines. Here are ten meaningful ways to support parents and caregivers through a coaching approach:

1. Guide age-appropriate skill-building: Help caregivers identify developmental milestones and set realistic expectations for their child’s growth.

2. Support daily routines: Collaborate on reviewing daily schedules and designing structured routines (such as mornings, mealtimes, or bedtime). Suggest small regulating activities that can help ease transitions throughout the day.

3. Encourage purposeful play at home: Coach caregivers on building play skills that support development in familiar environments.

4. Teach co-regulation strategies: Support caregivers in learning how to regulate their own emotional states and co-regulate with their child, especially during moments when the child struggles to self-regulate.

5. Strengthen positive behavior support: Help families focus on connection and strengths-based strategies that reinforce desired behaviors.

6. Incorporate sensory strategies into daily life: Offer simple, functional sensory tools (like movement breaks, deep pressure activities, or calming routines) that can be embedded into a child’s typical day.

7. Tailor the learning environment: Assist caregivers in adapting homework routines, study spaces, or after-school transitions to better support executive functioning and reduce stress.

8. Provide emotional support: Help caregivers process challenges, reframe mindsets, and build resilience through encouragement and education.

9. Navigate systems with confidence: Guide caregivers through evaluations, IEPs, and medical appointments so they feel empowered to advocate for their child’s needs.

10.  Adapt strategies over time: Collaborate with families to adjust tools and techniques as the child’s needs and routines evolve.

Partnering with parents for consistent progress in pediatric occupational therapy

In pediatric occupational therapy, parent coaching offers an opportunity to shift from a therapist-led model to a more collaborative approach rooted in family-centered care. Instead of the occupational therapist being the sole person implementing strategies, we can support parents and caregivers in taking a more active role. This empowers families to carry out interventions more consistently at home, leading to stronger long-term outcomes.

This shift benefits both the child and the family by:

• Promoting consistent practice and carryover. Strategies are reinforced throughout daily routines, not just during sessions.

• Helping caregivers better understand their child’s needs. With greater insight, caregivers can respond more effectively in various situations.

• Strengthening caregiver advocacy. Coaching builds caregiver confidence, equipping them to seek out and access resources, services, and support for their child.

Family dynamics is one of the most significant areas in which occupational therapists can offer support. Through parent coaching, caregivers often gain a clearer understanding of pediatric behaviors, recognizing that what may appear as defiance, dysregulation, or withdrawal is usually a response to underlying sensory or communication challenges.

This insight can lead to a decisive mindset shift. For example, a parent may realize their child isn’t intentionally misbehaving but is instead overwhelmed by sensory input or struggling to express themselves.

Parent coaching also promotes attachment and connection while reducing stress within the family dynamic. It helps build long-term resilience as caregivers learn to observe, problem-solve, and adjust strategies over time. In turn, this empowers them to be strong advocates for their child in school, in medical settings, and throughout everyday life.

Moving forward with confidence and care

Parent coaching as an occupational therapist offers meaningful benefits for both families and clinicians. This approach allows for flexible service delivery, whether in person, via telehealth, or through a hybrid healthcare model, making it easier to tailor support to each family’s unique needs. It enables therapists to focus on goals that impact not just the child but the entire family unit while gaining a complete understanding of the child’s strengths and challenges.

Parenting isn’t always easy, and occupational therapists are well-positioned to walk alongside families, offering guidance, encouragement, and tools for long-term success. To strengthen these skills and deliver more impactful outcomes in parent coaching, family-centered care, and pediatric behavior, therapists can turn to occupational therapy continuing education designed to support clinical growth and real-world application.

References

1. Lage, C. R., Wright, S., Monteiro, R. G. S., Aragão, L., & Boshoff, K. (2024). Collaborative practice with parents in occupational therapy for children: A scoping review. Australian occupational therapy journal, 71(5), 833–850. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38923569/

2. Keiter Humbert, Tamera & Cargill, Esther & Sanders, Abigail & Wood, Courtney. (2020). Collaboration: Perspectives of Occupational Therapists on Complex Family-Centered Care and Family Participation. Annals of International Occupational Therapy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343782367_Collaboration_Perspectives_of_Occupational_Therapists_on_Complex_Family-Centered_Care_and_Family_Participation