Background.Parents of a child considered to have special needs are
at greater risk of stress and exhaustion. Although many occupational therapy
interventions can help these children, they often require significant time and
energy from families.Purpose.To document the perspectives of
parents and occupational therapists regarding ways to offer services that help
build families’ capacities without overloading them.Method.A
qualitative descriptive design guided online community forums with 41 parents
and occupational therapists in Quebec, Canada.Findings.Nine key
principles to build the capacities of families without overburdening them were
identified. These include being sensitive to possible negative impacts of
services, avoiding overwhelming the family with information or recommendations,
taking the needed time, highlighting the positive, and offering flexible
conditions for services.Implications.Our findings help identify
how capacity-building rehabilitation services can be offered to families to
optimize positive outcomes and minimize harms.