Children with developmental delays are often not identified until they are school-aged (Chödrön et al., 2019). The American Academy of Pediatrics recognized early identification as essential; however, there are inconsistencies in best practices (Bright et al., 2019; Jimenez et al., 2017). These inconsistencies are a problem because there are missed opportunities when children are not identified early, and these problems have a greater significant impact on marginalized communities. Early preventative, proactive interventions are more effective at supporting positive outcomes than when remediation occurs later in life (Center on the Developing Child, 2017). Neuroscience research indicated that early intervention (EI) capitalizes on increased neuronal plasticity to promote infants’ and toddlers’ physical, emotional, and cognitive development (Demanster, 2017, Welch et al., 2015).
Occupational therapy’s role in primary care is often underutilized (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2014; Donnelley et al., 2013, 2014). Its unique holistic approach makes occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) valuable members of an interdisciplinary team (Dahl-Popolizio et al., 2016; Donnelley et al., 2013, 2014) and, as such, they have a role in assisting to increase the EI of children. Research indicated that parents also have a significant impact on supporting and promoting optimal development for their children (Demanster, 2017, Welch et al., 2015). It is essential to create new methods to support the EI of developmental delays (Barger et al., 2018).
PlaySpace: Collaboration for Identification, Health, and Milestone Achievement for Infants, Toddlers, and Children is an initiative that aims to improve the EI of more subtle developmental delays before school age through increasing collaboration among parents, pediatricians, and occupational therapists. This initiative consists of two phases. Phase 1 consists of individualized developmental playgroups led by OTPs. Through participation, parents will gain experiential knowledge about developmental milestones, adapting the environment to promote development, appropriate handling skills, and resources to improve their ability to advocate for their child’s needs. Phase 2 will provide pediatricians with options to increase collaboration with OTPs to support the developmental screening process, support parents within their practice, and increase knowledge on evidence-based programs to provide as resources to their families.
This doctoral project will present guidelines for Phase 1. This initiative aims to increase the EI of developmental differences to support optimal health and wellness for infants, toddlers, children, and their families by increasing collaboration among parents, pediatricians, and occupational therapists. / 2024-05-11T00:00:00Z
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/44419 |
| Date | 11 May 2022 |
| Creators | Aluisi, Nathalie |
| Contributors | Abbott-Gaffney, Cynthia, Jacobs, Karen |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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