Developing and Examine the Efficacy of the Family-Centered Multi-Sensory Environment Intervention on Parent's Empowerment and Children's Engagement (MSE-PEACE) in Children With Developmental Disabilities and Their Parents: A Mixed Methods Study

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

MSE-PEACE: The MSE-PEACE (Multi-Sensory Environment-Parent Empowerment and Child Engagement) intervention is a family-centered, therapist-guided sensory integration program specifically developed for children with developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Unlike traditional child-only sensory therapies, this intervention actively involves parents in all stages-assessment, goal setting, activity participation, and follow-up. Each participant dyad (parent and child) attends 10 biweekly sessions (60 minutes each) in a structured sensory therapy space equipped with adjustable lighting, tactile materials, auditory inputs, and other multisensory tools. The intervention is tailored to each child's sensory processing profile and emotional regulation needs, while promoting parent-child co-regulation, bonding, and collaborative engagement. Occupational therapists facilitate the sessions using individualized strategies to support child-led participation and empower parents with real-time coaching,

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a family-centered multi-sensory environment (MSE-PEACE) can help children with developmental disabilities and support their parents. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Can the MSE-PEACE program improve children's participation and emotional self-regulation? Does it help parents feel more confident and empowered in their caregiving role?

Participants will include children ages 3 to 12 years and their parents. All children have been diagnosed with a developmental disability such as autism, ADHD, or cerebral palsy. Participants will:

Join 10 multi-sensory sessions, held every 2 weeks, each lasting about 60 minutes Complete questionnaires and interviews before and after the sessions Receive support and suggestions for using sensory-based activities at home

This study will collect both survey and interview data to understand how the program affects children's daily functioning and how it supports parents' confidence and well-being.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (Chinese version) — At baseline (within 1 week before the first intervention session) and immediately after completion of the 10th session (within 1 week)
  The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ), adapted from the Volitional Questionnaire, is used to assess a child's motivation and engagement in different environments. It consists of 14 observational items such as curiosity, task initiation, persistence, and problem solving. Each item is scored on a 4-point scale from "Passive" to "Spontaneous." The scores range from 14 to 56, higher scores mean better engagement. Observations are conducted during 15-30 minutes of free play in natural settings (e.g., therapy room, playground, or home). The PVQ has demonstrated strong reliability and validity in children with developmental delays, with an item separation reliability coefficient of 0.97. This study uses the PVQ to evaluate changes in children's volitional behavior and functional participation before and after the MSE-PEACE intervention.
• Short Sensory Profile 2 - Chinese Version (SSP-2) — At baseline (within 1 week before the first intervention session) and immediately after completion of the 10th session (within 1 week)
  The Short Sensory Profile 2 (SSP-2) is a 34-item caregiver-reported questionnaire used to evaluate sensory processing patterns in children aged 3 to 14 years. It assesses four sensory quadrants: sensory seeking, sensory avoiding, sensory sensitivity, and low registration (observer). Caregivers rate each item based on the child's typical behavior in daily life using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Almost Never to 5 = Almost Always). Higher scores within each quadrant indicate greater difficulties in sensory processing according to age norms. The Chinese version of SSP-2 has been translated and validated in prior studies, showing strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.949). This study uses the SSP-2 to assess changes in children's sensory processing patterns before and after the MSE-PEACE intervention.
• Emotion Regulation Checklist - Chinese Version (ERC) — At baseline (within 1 week before the first intervention session) and immediately after completion of the 10th session (within 1 week)
  The Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC) is a 24-item parent-report measure used to evaluate children's emotion regulation abilities. Parents rate how frequently their child demonstrates specific emotional behaviors in daily life using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Never to 4 = Almost Always). The ERC includes two subscales: Emotion Regulation (ERC-ER), which reflects a child's ability to understand and express emotions appropriately, and Lability/Negativity (ERC-L/N), which reflects emotional dysregulation and instability. Higher ERC-ER scores indicate better emotion regulation, while higher ERC-L/N scores indicate greater emotional dysregulation. The Chinese version has shown acceptable internal consistency, with Cronbach's α values of 0.88 (ERC-ER) and 0.64 (ERC-L/N). This study uses the ERC to assess changes in children's emotional self-regulation following the MSE-PEACE intervention.
• Family Empowerment Scale - Chinese Version (FES) — At baseline (within 1 week before the first intervention session) and immediately after completion of the 10th session (within 1 week)
  The Family Empowerment Scale (FES) is a 34-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure caregivers' perceptions of their empowerment when raising a child with disabilities. It evaluates empowerment across three domains: Family (12 items), Service System (12 items), and Community/Political (10 items). Respondents rate items using a 6-point Likert scale from 0 ("Not applicable") to 5 ("Very often"), with higher scores indicating higher levels of perceived empowerment. The Chinese version used in this study was translated using a forward-backward translation process, reviewed by an expert panel, and pre-tested with caregivers for clarity and cultural relevance. The original FES demonstrates strong psychometric properties, including internal consistency reliability coefficients of 0.88, 0.87, and 0.88 across the three subscales, and test-retest reliabilities of 0.83, 0.77, and 0.85, respectively.
• Parenting Sense of Competence Scale - Chinese Version (PSOC) — At baseline (within 1 week before the first intervention session) and immediately after completion of the 10th session (within 1 week)
  The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale - Chinese Version (PSOC) is a 17-item self-report questionnaire used to assess parents' perceptions of their competence in the parenting role. The scale includes two subscales: (1) Parenting Efficacy (skills and knowledge) and (2) Parenting Satisfaction (comfort and value). Responses are rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 6, higher scores reflect better sense of competence that parents feel about their caregiving. The Chinese version of the PSOC has demonstrated good psychometric properties, including internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .85) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .87). It also shows construct validity through correlations with measures of self-esteem and postpartum depression. This study uses the PSOC to evaluate changes in parenting confidence and satisfaction following participation in the MSE-PEACE intervention.
• Parenting Stress Index - Fourth Edition Short Form (Chinese Version) (PSI-4-SF) — At baseline (within 1 week before the first intervention session) and immediately after completion of the 10th session (within 1 week)
  The Parenting Stress Index, Fourth Edition Short Form (Chinese Version) (PSI-4-SF) is a 36-item self-report questionnaire used to assess the level and sources of stress parents experience in their caregiving role. It includes three subscales: Parental Distress, Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction, and Difficult Child. The tool helps identify whether parenting stress stems from parent characteristics, child characteristics, or the relationship between parent and child. Higher scores reflected a greater sense of stress in parenting. The Chinese version used in this study demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with internal consistency coefficients ranging from 0.92 to 0.95 across subscales and 0.97 for the total scale. Factor analysis supported the consistency of the translated scale structure with the original. This study uses the PSI-4-SF to examine changes in parenting stress levels and contributing factors before and after the MSE-PEACE.

Trial sites (1)

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