Integration of Interactive Technologies in Paediatric Occupational Therapy: A Quebec-Based Survey

Background: Occupational therapy (OT) emphasizes occupational participation (OP): active engagement in meaningful, valued activities. While interactive technologies (ITs) such as virtual reality (VR), active video games (AVGs), mobile applications, wearables, and robotics show promise in paediatric rehabilitation, little is known about their integration in OT. Purpose: Describe Quebec-based IT use, facilitators, barriers, and therapists’ perspectives on supporting children's OP. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Analyses used descriptive statistics and Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests ( p  < 0.05). Findings: Amongst 64 respondents, 69% ( n  = 44) had experience with at least one IT: mobile apps (93%), AVGs (27%), wearables and robotics (9% each), and VR/AR (2%). Half had experience with more than one type of IT. Most reported occasional or monthly use; only 5% reported daily use. The majority of IT users (75%) worked in rehabilitation centres and used ITs with children with motor development disorders (84%). Child engagement was the primary facilitator (95%), while non-IT users reported access difficulties (80%) and high costs (75%) as barriers. Three quarters of IT users familiar with OP reported targeting OP goals. Conclusion: This first provincial survey will inform subsequent provincial knowledge mobilization initiatives by guiding practical training resources that help therapists select and apply ITs to target specific occupational participation goals.