The wasting room: Making best use of our time with caregivers

As occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs), we typically spend about 1 hour each week with our pediatric clients—and the caregivers of those clients are with them for the rest of the week. A caregiver is a child’s expert, number one resource, and biggest fan. So why are they so often left sitting in the waiting room while we work with their child? Some reasons have to do with productivity concerns, space, the child’s attention span, therapy as respite care (for caregivers), and other reasons. However, children and caregivers experience many co-occupations each day. We define co-occupations as those that occur for children but also involve the caregiver or family. Children experience many co-occupations with their caregivers because children are inherently dependent on them. Most caregivers crave competence in their own parenting ability, and they often report that it is hard to find the appropriate resources (Stevenson et al., 2023). OTPs can be more effective with children and families by using coaching with caregivers in routine practice. Coaching is an evidence-based approach that empowers parents and helps them recognize successful approaches they are already using with their children (Novak & Honan, 2019).