Date
12-4-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Kelly Wheeler
Keywords
Down syndrome, developmental disability, telehealth, TeleOT, phenomenology, Occupational Therapy, Qualitative Study, Lived Experiences, IPA, Early Childhood Intervention
Disciplines
Medical Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences
Recommended Citation
Umukoro, Tumini, "The Lived Experiences of Mothers of Children with Down Syndrome Using TeleOT Services: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7761.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7761
Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States, therapy services for children with developmental delays transitioned to telehealth services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of mothers of children diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS) who received occupational therapy services through telehealth (teleOT) using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory was the framework used to address the research questions: RQ1: What are the lived experiences of mothers of children with DS regarding teleOT services? RQ2: How do mothers of children with DS perceive the benefits and challenges of telehealth OT services? RQ3: How can teleOT be optimally implemented to maximize the functional outcomes of children with DS and enhance caregiver satisfaction? Eight participants were recruited for the study from therapist and parent referrals. Purposive sampling methods were used to improve the relevance and quality of the dataset. Each participant completed a demographic questionnaire, a one-on-one semi-structured interview via Zoom, and reviewed their audio-recorded transcribed interview transcripts for accuracy. The data analysis followed IPA's systematic process, which involved data transcription, coding, and thematic analysis, yielding seven themes and twenty-one subthemes to make sense of the mothers' lived experiences regarding teleOT services. It is hoped that the findings will be used to improve OT service delivery via telehealth, close a significant void in the pediatric rehabilitation literature, and guide more inclusive telehealth practices, noting the recommendations provided by the participants.
