Coaching is gaining interest in health care. While the use of coaching within the field of pediatric rehabilitation is also gaining interest, there is very little research literature on the utility and impacts of coaching for pediatric rehabilitation. Service providers, clients, and families want effective approaches used in rehabilitation. This study investigated the outcomes and experiences of families receiving Solution-focused Coaching in pediatric rehabilitation (SFC-peds). The methodolgy utilized was a retrospective qualitative descriptive study. This design was chosen to discover whether there were transformative experiences of clients and families who received solution-focused coaching interventions. Each of 9 families participated in two interviews separated by 5 months. The families had received services within the past 6 months from either occupational therapists or physical therapists who had 3-10 years of experience using the SFC-peds approach. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis and a phenomenological approach.

The SFC-peds services recieived by the families were viewed as collaborative and  solution-focused in comparison to problem based and service provider driven. With the SFC-peds approach, the families were involved in setting the goals and action plans. Key themes that emerged were:  i) goal oriented collaborative process; ii) client engagement in therapy; iii) enhanced capicity and community participation; iv) empowered mindsets. The solution-focused coaching approach was experienced as supportive by families and paced to suit the individual participant.

The findings from the study provide evidence supporting the use of SFC-peds in pediatric rehabilitation. Engagement and collaboration in goal setting and creation of action plans was clearly important to the participating families.