Intervention Strategies in Developmental Delay Flashcards
What factors are essential to providing an appropriate intervention?
- Perform detailed assessment
- Understand impact of underlying impairments & prognosis
- Understand development of motor control
- Set goals with the family
- Address all areas of development due to the interaction with each other
- Consider family centred practice when prescribing specific strategies
What should the subjective history include?
- Family history
- Pregnancy/birth complications
- Age at attaining various milestones
- Parents’ concerns
- Sleeping & feeding
- Babbling/talking
What should an objective assessment include?
- Gross motor milestones
- Muscle tone
- Joint mobility
- Lower limb posture
- Quality of movement, including postural control
What should you do following the objective assessment?
Determine the impact of underlying impairments
What are some of the intervention strategies for DS?
- Family education
- Carrying, handling & positioning to promote development of motor skills & postural control
- Guided movement & use of transitional positions & rotational movements to improve muscle strength & co-ordination of flexors/extensors
- Environment/equipment to promote practice of skills
- Treadmill walking
What are the benefits of treadmill walking in DS?
- Results in earlier onset of independent walking (IW) (20 months compared to 24.3 months)
- Higher intensity further improves age of IW but is more difficult for families
What are some of the intervention strategies for DD?
- Family education
- Specific motor training programs (e.g. treadmill)
- General developmental programs (promoting active movement)
- Providing opportunities for motor learning during ADLs & routines (e.g. carrying, positioning for play, transitional movements)
What is the optimal positioning in DD?
- With muscle in shortened position for improved strength & ability to work against gravity
- With muscle in lengthened position for stretching o& promoting growth in an optimal position.
- Midline orientation for strengthening of flexors & extensors on left & right
- Asymmetrical positions (e.g. sidelying) for continual use of trunk muscles with controlled extension/flexion for postural control
How can behaviour modification be promoted?
- Reward desired behaviour, ignore negative behaviour
- Provide clear instructions & expected timeframe for intervention, including number of activities
- May need to assist child to perform desired behaviour
- Align with the child’s interests where possible
- Allow choice within limits
What does the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Child and Youth (ICF-CY) consider?
A way of outlining where there are deficits & the level to target intervention at
What are the important components of a home exercise program in DD?
- Based on goals identified
- Require parent education & support to implement to increase compliance
- Specific & be incorporated into typical activities (shouldn’t take time out of the day)
- Utilise play as therapy
- Updated as the child’s skills progress
