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Early Intervention Involving Specific Task-Environment-Participation (STEP) Protocol for Infants at Risk: A
Camila Resende Gâmbaro Lima1, Raissa Wanderley Ferraz de Abreu1, Bruna Nayara Verdério1
1Department of Physiotherapy, Neuropediatrics Section, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos-SP, Brazil.
Insights
The STEP protocol, focusing on motor skills and participation, is feasible for at-risk infants. It significantly improved motor skills and participation engagement compared to standard interventions.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Early Intervention Programs
- Motor Development
Background:
- Infants at biological risk are susceptible to developmental delays.
- Early intervention is crucial for optimizing outcomes in at-risk infants.
- The STEP protocol integrates motor skills, environmental factors, and participation for enhanced development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of the STEP protocol in infants at biological risk.
- To evaluate the preliminary effects of the STEP protocol on motor skills and participation.
- To compare the STEP protocol with a standard intervention for at-risk infants.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 28 infants aged 3-9 months at risk for developmental delay.
- Intervention groups: STEP protocol (n=14) and Standard Intervention (n=14), with parent-led delivery.
- Outcome measures included the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM), and Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD-IS).
Main Results:
- The STEP protocol demonstrated good recruitment and retention rates.
- The STEP group showed significantly higher scores on the AIMS (motor skills) post-intervention (p=0.014).
- Significant improvements were observed in participation frequency (p=0.02) and engagement (p=0.03) for the STEP group compared to the standard intervention.
Conclusions:
- The STEP protocol is a feasible and effective intervention for infants at biological risk.
- The findings highlight the importance of integrating specific motor skill stimulation, participation, and family involvement in early interventions.
- The STEP protocol shows superior outcomes compared to standard interventions, suggesting its potential for broader clinical application.
Abstract:
Aims: To verify the feasibility and preliminary effects of the STEP protocol, an intervention based on specific motor skills, environmental factors and participation, in infants at biological risk.Methods: Twenty-eight at-risk infants (STEP Protocol = 14; Standard Intervention = 14), aged 3-9 months and at risk for developmental delay. The following outcomes were assessed: motor skills (Alberta Infant Motor Scale-AIMS); frequency and involvement of participation (Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure-YC-PEM), and home environment opportunities (Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-AHEMD-IS). For both groups, interventions were provided by parents. The intervention for group was based on the following principles: (1) standard intervention: stimulation of motor skills; (2) STEP: stimulation of motor skills, participation, mother-infant interaction, environmental enrichment. A mean comparison test was applied to verify difference between groups after the intervention.Results: The protocol showed good retention and recruitment rates. The STEP group had significantly higher outcomes after intervention on the AIMS (p = 0.014); frequency (p = 0.02) and engagement (p = 0.03) in participation, when compared to standard intervention.Conclusions: The results showed that the STEP protocol is feasible, and presents better results compared to the standard intervention, which reinforces the importance of promoting participation, specific motor skills and family involvement.
