Research on the Wilbarger Protocol

Therapists, teachers, and parents often ask me if there is any evidence for the Wilbarger Protocol.  The Wilbarger Protocol, also called the Wilbarger Therapressure Program is a treatment approach for sensory defensiveness that is often recommended by occupational therapists.  Unfortunately, there is a lack of quality research to support the use of the Wilbarger Protocol.  My colleagues and I recently had a study published on occupational therapy practitioners’ sources of training in the administration of Wilbarger Therapressure Program.  The study, entitled "Delivery of the Wilbarger Protocol: A survey of pediatric occupational therapy practitioners" was published in The Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools & Early Intervention in 2016.

We investigated the uniformity of administration and the diagnoses for which therapists recommend the protocol.  OTs from the United States completed an online survey investigating specifics related to training and implementation of the protocol.  Thirty-nine percent of the 153 respondents who reported using the protocol reported that they were trained by attending the workshop that the Wilbargers offer.  Slightly less than half (48%) learned how to administer the protocol through hands-on training from another occupational therapist, 7% learned through word of mouth from an OT colleague, 3% through online research, and 3% by other means.

The results suggest that practitioners utilize a variety of approaches related to the training and implementation of the Wilbarger Protocol.  All OT practitioners need to obtain the proper training before recommending and implementing program.  A standardized protocol for the protocol has not been published; therefore, therapists who wish to learn the protocol should attend the Wilbarger workshop.

Lancaster, S. L., Zachry, A. H., Duck, A., Harris, A., Page, E., Sanders, J. (2016). Delivery of the Wilbarger Protocol: A survey of pediatric occupational therapy practitioners. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 9(3), 2016.