Jacksonville University Doctoral Capstone Highlights the Impact of A+ Handwriting’s Mobile Therapy Bus Model

Bringing Occupational Therapy Directly to Children Who Need It Most

At A+ Handwriting Mobile Pediatric Occupational Therapy, we have always believed that therapy should meet children where they are—not the other way around.

That belief recently became the focus of a doctoral capstone project completed by Jacksonville University Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student, Marissa Maietta, OTS, who spent 14 weeks studying and evaluating our innovative mobile therapy bus model.

Her project, titled “Mobile Occupational Therapy and the Potential Impact on Underserved Pediatric Populations,” examined how our mobile occupational therapy clinic helps families access services while reducing caregiver burden and improving outcomes.

Why Study a Mobile Therapy Bus?

Many children who need occupational therapy face significant barriers to care.

Families often struggle with:

• Long travel distances
• Busy schedules
• Multiple therapy appointments
• Caring for several children
• Limited access to specialized pediatric services
• Lack of school-based services for homeschool and private school students

The study specifically explored how mobile occupational therapy can bridge these gaps for homeschool families and other underserved populations.

What the Research Found

The results were both encouraging and validating.

Among surveyed families:

• Nearly half reported that they would have been unlikely to access occupational therapy if services were not offered in a mobile format.
• 100% agreed that the mobile model reduced caregiver burden.
• 93% reported seeing improvements in their child’s skills and development.
• 93% reported being extremely satisfied with services.

Families consistently identified the following benefits:

✅ Reduced travel time

✅ Increased convenience

✅ Easier scheduling

✅ Greater consistency with attendance

✅ Less disruption to academics and extracurricular activities

✅ Improved ability to manage multiple children and responsibilities

Many caregivers shared that having therapy come directly to them allowed them to continue homeschooling, care for siblings, or simply experience less stress throughout the day.

More Than Transportation: A Mobile Sensory Gym

Unlike traditional home-based therapy, A+ Handwriting’s therapy bus is a fully equipped mobile clinic and sensory gym.

The bus includes:

• Sensory equipment
• Swing systems
• Movement-based therapy opportunities
• Vertical writing surfaces
• Handwriting workstations
• Flexible configurations based on each child’s needs

This allows children to receive individualized occupational therapy in a dedicated therapeutic environment while remaining close to home, school, homeschool co-ops, libraries, and community locations.

Supporting Homeschool and Neurodiverse Families

One particularly important finding was the impact on homeschool families.

As homeschooling continues to grow across Florida, many students no longer receive therapy services through the public school system. Families must independently seek and coordinate services.

The study found that A+ Handwriting’s mobile model helps fill this service gap by bringing occupational therapy directly to homeschool students and other children who might otherwise have difficulty accessing care.

Caregivers also reported that many families have multiple neurodiverse children, and in some cases, neurodivergent parents. The convenience and flexibility of the mobile model made accessing therapy significantly easier for these families.

Looking Toward the Future

The capstone project concluded that mobile occupational therapy is an effective, equitable, and family-centered model of care that can improve access while reducing caregiver burden.

The research also highlighted the potential for future expansion through additional therapy buses and interdisciplinary services to reach even more children and families.

A Proud Moment for A+ Handwriting

We are honored that our practice was selected as the focus of this doctoral research project and grateful to Marissa Maietta and Jacksonville University for helping document the impact that innovative occupational therapy models can have on families.

At A+ Handwriting, our mission remains the same:

By bringing specialized occupational therapy directly to children through our mobile therapy bus, we continue working to make high-quality, individualized services accessible to the families who need them most.