Parents' Perspectives on the Application of Home Activities in Early Intervention.

Aims: This study explored parents' successes, challenges, and recommendations in relation to the application of home activities in early intervention.Methods: An electronic survey was prepared with Qualtrics software and distributed to parents of children with motor delays. Three open-ended questions were included at the end of the survey. Participants were the child's primary caregiver or guardian and their child must be currently receiving early intervention services or have received early intervention services from a physical or an occupational therapist in the United States in the past 5 years. Two coders used content analysis to analyze parents' responses to open-ended questions.Results: A total of 252 participants responded to at least one of the open-ended questions that were included in the survey. Responses were grouped into codes and categories that lead to the emergence of four themes. The themes indicated parent-reported challenges, successes, and recommendations in relation to team collaboration, individualization of activities, developmental gains, and parental support.Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that more focus should be directed toward parent-therapist partnership, multidisciplinary collaboration, and personalization of activities in early intervention. Parents-reported experiences and recommendation could assist early intervention personnel in advancing services provided for children with motor delays.

Parental Adherence to Home Activities in Early Intervention for Young Children With Delayed Motor Development.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between characteristics of home activities and coaching practices with the adherence of parents of children with motor delays to home activities provided by physical therapists and occupational therapists in early intervention. METHODS: An online survey study was developed and distributed to physical therapists and occupational therapists across the United States. A survey flier was posted online in parent support groups, physical and occupational therapy groups, newsletters, and organizations supporting parents of children with disabilities. RESULTS: A total of 720 respondents participated in the survey, and 446 participants from 49 states met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Parents indicated that physical therapists and occupational therapists applied the 5 coaching practices (joint planning, observation, practice, reflection, and feedback). However, parents (63%) reported more time was needed on coaching. Parents stated that therapists' modeling the activities was the most helpful teaching technique that enhanced their adherence to home activities. Coaching practices, appropriateness of the home activities to daily routines and home environment, provision of home activities enjoyed by the child, and parent self-efficacy were all significantly associated with adherence to home activities. CONCLUSIONS: Parents' adherence to home activities is affected not only by the type of coaching used by the therapists but also by the characteristics of the home activities provided for young children with delayed motor development. IMPACT: The results of this study provide additional evidence supporting individualization of home activities to promote parents' continuous provision of learning opportunities to promote their children's development. There was also support of the therapists' use of the 5 coaching practices in early intervention to support the parent's application of home activities when the therapists are not present. LAY SUMMARY: This study explored the use of home activities from the parents' perspective and provided valuable recommendations to therapists to improve parents' adherence to the recommended home activities in early intervention.

Challenges Faced by Therapists Providing Services for Infants With or at Risk for Cerebral Palsy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) have in providing early intervention (EI) for infants with or at risk for cerebral palsy. METHODS: Therapists' responses to an open-ended question were collected via survey that was distributed to EI providers and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The primary self-reported barriers to PT/OT EI services had 5 themes: (1) inadequate communication and collaboration, (2) challenges in coordination with family, (3) policy limitations, (4) meeting the child's individual medical needs, and (5) unequal access to resources. CONCLUSION: Respondents reported that barriers are complex and exist at the individual, family, team, and societal levels. Further research is needed to explore barriers and solutions at each of these levels, from meeting a child's individual medical needs to improving interprofessional communication to increasing equitable access to resources.

Early Intervention Therapy Services for Infants With or at Risk for Cerebral Palsy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the practices physical therapists and occupational therapists use in early intervention (EI) for infants with or at risk for cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: A survey was disseminated nationally to EI providers using an online anonymous link. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-nine therapists completed at least 50% of the survey. Four percent of therapists use the General Movement Assessment to predict CP, 57% reported infants at risk for CP receive therapy once a week, 89% identified parents' goals as the most important factor in customizing the EI program, and 75% provide parents with home programs. However, 73% never or rarely use outcome measures to prioritize parents' goals; 31% provide parents with individualized home program and more than 60% never assess environmental enrichment. CONCLUSION: Therapists do not incorporate sufficient strategies for goal-oriented interventions, comprehensive parent education, and optimum environmental enrichment.