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Published on: April 16, 2014
The Effect of START-Play Intervention on Reaching-Related Exploratory Behaviors in Children with Neuromotor Delays: A
Iryna Babik1, Andrea B Cunha2, Dongho Choi3
1Department of Psychological Science, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.
Insights
The Sitting Together And Reaching To Play (START-Play) intervention improved reaching skills in children with significant motor delays. This play-based therapy enhanced their exploration behaviors over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Children with neuromotor delays often experience challenges with reaching and object exploration.
- These impairments can hinder cognitive development and daily functioning.
- Early intervention is crucial for addressing these developmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Sitting Together And Reaching To Play (START-Play) intervention.
- To assess the impact of START-Play on reaching-related exploratory behaviors in children with neuromotor delays.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 112 children with motor delays.
- Participants were assigned to either the START-Play intervention or usual care.
- Reaching behaviors were assessed at multiple time points using piecewise linear mixed-effects modeling.
Main Results:
- START-Play demonstrated benefits for children with significant motor delays.
- Children with significant delays who showed early reaching mastery experienced greater improvements.
- No significant benefits were observed for children with mild motor delays.
Conclusions:
- The START-Play intervention effectively advanced reaching-related exploratory behaviors.
- The intervention shows particular promise for children with significant motor delays and early signs of reaching competence.
Aims:
Children with neuromotor delays are at risk for reaching and object exploration impairments, which may negatively affect their cognitive development and daily activity performance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Sitting Together And Reaching To Play (START-Play) intervention on reaching-related exploratory behaviors in children with neuromotor delays.
Methods:
In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 112 children (Mean = 10.80, SD = 2.59 months old at baseline) with motor delays were randomly assigned to receive START-Play intervention or usual care-early intervention. Performance for ten reaching-related exploratory behaviors was assessed at baseline and 1.5, 3, 6, 12 months post-baseline. Piecewise linear mixed-effects modeling was used to evaluate short- and long-term effects of the intervention.
Results:
Benefits of START-Play were observed for children with significant motor delays, but not for those with mild delays. START-Play was especially beneficial for children with significant motor delays who demonstrated early mastery in the reaching assessment (i.e., object contact ≥65% of the time within 3 months after baseline); these children showed greater improvements in manual, visual, and multimodal exploration, as well as intensity of exploration across time.
Conclusions:
START-Play advanced the performance of reaching-related exploratory behaviors in children with significant motor delays.
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