Matthew J Braun1, Winnie Dunn2, Scott D Tomchek2,3. 1. University of Kansas Medical Center, Center for Child Health and Development, Kansas City. 2. University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Occupational Therapy Education, Kansas City. 3. University of Louisville, Weisskopf Center, KY.
Abstract
PURPOSE: There is growing evidence supporting the use of strengths-based practices when serving families. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of strengths-based approaches in the context of written professional documentation. We specifically explored whether or not interdisciplinary clinicians in one university-based medical center clinic write from a strengths perspective (e.g., writing focuses on abilities rather than on deficits) when documenting child behavior in autism diagnostic clinics. METHOD: We gathered narrative-based writing samples (a total of 299 phrases) from 20 patient reports. Using a coding system developed by the research team (intraclass correlation coefficient = .801 on final definitions and coding system), we analyzed the extent to which interdisciplinary clinicians included strengths-based language (e.g., language that emphasizes a person's strengths rather than limitations) in their written documentation. An independent researcher coded a random sample (20% of entire sample) of the data to document reliability of the coded data (97% interrater agreement). RESULTS: Our findings indicated that clinicians in our study used deficit-based language significantly more than neutral and strengths-based language in written documentation. CONCLUSION: This preliminary evidence suggests a need to reflect upon our own understanding of strengths-based practices and the way professionals write about children in clinical documentation.
PURPOSE: There is growing evidence supporting the use of strengths-based practices when serving families. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of strengths-based approaches in the context of written professional documentation. We specifically explored whether or not interdisciplinary clinicians in one university-based medical center clinic write from a strengths perspective (e.g., writing focuses on abilities rather than on deficits) when documenting child behavior in autism diagnostic clinics. METHOD: We gathered narrative-based writing samples (a total of 299 phrases) from 20 patient reports. Using a coding system developed by the research team (intraclass correlation coefficient = .801 on final definitions and coding system), we analyzed the extent to which interdisciplinary clinicians included strengths-based language (e.g., language that emphasizes a person's strengths rather than limitations) in their written documentation. An independent researcher coded a random sample (20% of entire sample) of the data to document reliability of the coded data (97% interrater agreement). RESULTS: Our findings indicated that clinicians in our study used deficit-based language significantly more than neutral and strengths-based language in written documentation. CONCLUSION: This preliminary evidence suggests a need to reflect upon our own understanding of strengths-based practices and the way professionals write about children in clinical documentation.
Authors: Diana Tajik-Parvinchi; Peter Rosenbaum; Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker; Eric Duku; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Caroline Roncadin; Stelios Georgiades; Stephen Gentles; Hanna Fang; Briano Di Rezze Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2022-06-06