This book provides practical, how-to information on occupational therapy intervention in the neonatal unit, hospital, home, and center-based services.

Currently in the United States, 20% of children ages 6 years or younger live in poverty. Poor children have fewer opportunities than their peers to resources that are important for child development. At the same time, the prevalence of developmental disabilities has increased to 1 in every 6 children. Early identification of developmental delays is critical, and more than half of all American parents do not know the warning signs. Occupational therapy professionals in early intervention and preschool practice can provide the necessary services to support children's health in early childhood. This Practice Guideline explains the occupational therapy process for young children--and their families, caregivers, and teachers--which includes evaluation, intervention, and outcomes planning to enhance a child's occupational performance, adaptation, health and wellness, community participation, role competence, and self-advocacy. Topics include social-emotional development; feeding, eating, and swallowing; cognitive and motor development; service delivery; autism; obesity, cerebral palsy; and parent training. This work can help occupational therapy practitioners, as well as those who manage, reimburse, or set policy regarding occupational therapy services, understand the contribution of occupational therapy in evaluating and serving young children. This guideline can also serve as a resource for parents, school administrators, educators, and other early childhood staff.

Emphasizing a family-centered approach to treatment, Pediatric Occupational Therapy and Early Intervention is a practical guide to providing occupational therapy services to young children. Written by a team of expert clinicians, this text illustrates the importance of successful early intervention and confronts specific challenges faced by direct service providers. Covering both the principles of early intervention and the application of current theory to everyday practice, Pediatric Occupational Therapy and Early Intervention details focused treatment strategies such as sensory integration assessment, assistive technology, and the power of play.

The most comprehensive book available on neonatal intervention, this in-depth resource gives professionals the strong foundation of clinical knowledge they'll need to work with high-risk newborns. With a unique developmental and therapeutic perspective that sets it apart from other texts on the subject, the book is filled with research findings and practical guidelines clinicians will use to promote the well-being of infants in the NICU and to involve and support their families. In-service and preservice professionals will benefit from an exploration of different developmental models for neonatal intervention an overview of medical conditions of newborns and commonly used interventions a synopsis of the functional abilities of premature infants discussion of crucial elements within the NICU environment, including teamwork, equipment, and sources of support detailed guidelines for positioning and feeding a model for family-centered care guidance on assessing behavior and development suggestions for working with infants with prolonged NICU stays tips on easing the transition from hospital to home information on following up with high-risk infants The overviews, learning objectives, and case stories in each chapter make this an ideal textbook for new and future clinicians, and the guidelines for everyday practice make it a reference professionals will use again and again as they work with high-risk infants and their families.

Cases in Pediatric Occupational Therapy: Assessment and Intervention is designed to provide a comprehensive collection of case studies that reflects the scope of current pediatric occupational therapy practice. Drs. Susan Cahill and Patricia Bowyer, along with more than 50 contributors, begin each section with an introduction to the practice setting and direct instructors and students to additional resources for more information. The text includes more than 40 cases that include client overviews, relevant history and background information; information regarding the analysis of occupational performance; information about progress in treatment; and questions to promote the development and refinement of clinical reasoning skills. Cases are presented from various practice settings, including: The neonatal intensive care unit Early intervention School systems Outpatient services Hospital-based settings Mental health settings Community settings Each case included in Cases in Pediatric Occupational Therapy is written by professionals with first-hand experience working with pediatric clients from the specific practice setting, and it aligns with the occupational therapy process represented in the AOTA’s Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, Third Edition. In addition, supplemental information, photographs, and video clips help to bring the cases to life. Included with the text are online supplemental materials for faculty use in the classroom. Cases in Pediatric Occupational Therapy will guide occupational therapy students, faculty, and practitioners through effective clinical decision making during the selection of assessment procedures and the development of client-centered and context-specific intervention plans.