Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement: Social Emotional Wellness Through Yoga

Authors

Gianna R. Delfino, Misericordia UniversityFollow

Faculty Advisor(s)

Orley Templeton

Files

Abstract

This doctoral capstone program, Social-Emotional Wellness Through Yoga: Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement, aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a family-centered occupational therapy (OT) program designed to enhance emotional connection, co-regulation, and wellness in caregiver-child dyads at a pediatric outpatient clinic. This project was guided by a systematic review of literature on the effects of yoga on the mental health of children 3-10 years old, which suggests that yoga has positive outcomes on the mental health and wellbeing of children (Khunti et al., 2022). Grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and strengths-based care, the 10-week group was designed for children ages 3–11 and their caregivers. Sessions incorporated sensory-inclusive yoga, mindfulness games, and attunement-based discussion to support social-emotional development, mutual understanding, and relational trust. Parent and child attendees reported implementing strategies learned within the program to their home and felt they had increased their emotional connection, awareness of their child’s cues, and confidence in co-regulation after participating in this 10-week group. It was noted that the flexible, child-led, and sensory-safe structure were key aspects of this program. A two-part workshop for occupational therapy students at a local university and development of a clinician resource binder supported the project’s educational and advocacy goals. Advocacy efforts also included the creation of user-friendly handouts, visual tools, and outreach materials promoting neurodiversity-affirming care. This capstone project demonstrated that the Social Emotional Wellness Through Yoga: Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement, a family-centered yoga program, was a meaningful experience focused on caregiver-child relationships and emotional wellness for those that attended.

Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Poster

Department

Occupational Therapy

Keywords

pediatric occupational therapy, yoga, caregiver-child attunement, social-emotional wellness, neurodiversity-affirming

Disciplines

Community-Based Learning | Early Childhood Education | Family, Life Course, and Society | Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental and Social Health | Occupational Therapy | Rehabilitation and Therapy

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Delfino, Gianna R., "Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement: Social Emotional Wellness Through Yoga" (2025). Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025. 14.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/otd_capstone2025/14