The THINC project: therapy interventions for children with neurodisability - a scoping study of current practice and perceived research needs

SPRU research team

• Professor Bryony Beresford (Principal Investigator)
• Jane Maddison

External collaborators

Susan Clarke, Freelance Researcher

Project summary

Many children with neurodisabilities (e.g. cerebral palsy, spina bifida, developmental coordination disorder) may require physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.  A recent national stakeholder consultation on research priorities for children with neurodisabilities found that research into these therapies, and their impacts on children’s lives, was a top priority.

To inform decisions regarding commissioning of research in this area, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is undertaking some preliminary work.  The THINC project is part of this work and has the following aims: 

• to identify and describe current techniques, practices and approaches to delivering therapy interventions for children with non-progressive neurodisability, and factors influencing decisions regarding the approach taken and the delivery of the intervention.
• to explore and describe how professionals and families currently conceive therapy outcomes, and meaningfulness of ‘participation’ as a therapy outcome
• to seek views of therapy practitioners, parents and children regarding the ‘active ingredients’ of a therapy session, and the other features of the session which may impact on effectiveness (eg. staff skills/qualification; physical environment; parent involvement)
• to map NHS health professionals’ parents’ and children’s views of the evidence gaps and research priorities.

Group and individual interviews and an electronic survey will be used as appropriate to ascertain the views and experiences of different stakeholder groups:

• therapy practitioners and assistant practitioners (based in a range of settings and organisations)
• clinical academics/researchers
• community paediatricians and paediatric neurologists
• parents
• children and young people.          

The study is focussing particularly on non-progressive neurodisabilities where physical/motor function is a predominant impairment.

Additional information