Occupational and Physical Therapy Treatment Components for Infants Interventions Programs

Ninety-two occupational and physical therapists employed within the Iowa public education system received an infant intervention questionnaire that investigated their use of specific infant intervention models and techniques. Thirty-nine pediatric therapists, actively treating infants birth to two years of age responded. The results showed that the therapists, regardless of their discipline, educational level, or familiarity with interdisciplinary infant intervention programs, were unaware of specific techniques which have resulted in successful infant intervention programs. Findings such as these lead one to speculate that educational programs in occupational and physical therapy, as well as continuing education services, should more strongly emphasize infant intervention techniques in order to affect the service delivery practices of pediatric therapists.