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Interprofessional collaboration is considered best practice in all areas of health care, and interprofessional education (IPE) activities are an essential part of preprofessional education programs. IPE activities typically occur between healthcare profession students but not between programs outside of healthcare where professionals are likely to collaborate, such as occupational therapy (OT) and schoolteachers. Here we describe an innovative IPE activity between OT and Art Education students who collaborated during the COVID-19 pandemic to apply theories from each discipline to create remote asynchronous inclusive art workshops during the pandemic. Art Education majors developed the workshop curricula, and OT students developed strategies to modify the activities to facilitate participation for children with disabilities. The collaboration between the students allowed both groups to be introduced to each discipline's objectives, modalities, and approaches while enhancing understanding of the distinct value that each provides within the education setting, thus increasing the likelihood of developing stronger interprofessional relationships in the future. The project sought to address other learning objectives, including researching and applying best practices for asynchronous learning, adapting activities for specific participation or learning needs, incorporating adaptations using Universal Design for Learning principles, and preparing family-friendly resources in a remote format.

Importance: Caregiver-performed home therapy programs are essential to occupational therapy intervention for infants and children with neuromotor and neuromuscular diagnoses. Factors that facilitate or are barriers to caregiver adherence when making home therapy recommendations should be considered. Objective: To identify facilitators of and barriers to caregiver adherence to home therapy recommendations for children with neuromotor and neuromuscular disorders. Method: The review followed the five-step methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Data Sources: Searches with no language or date range limits were performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, PsycINFO, and SocINDEX on the EBSCO platform, and Scopus on the Elsevier platform from database inception through January 24, 2023. Study Selection and Data Collection: Study inclusion criteria included caregiver adherence to home therapy recommendations for children with neuromotor and neuromuscular diagnoses. Eight hundred seventy-five articles underwent title and abstract screening; 64 articles met the criteria for full review. Findings: Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. Four used qualitative measures, 7 used quantitative measures, and 1 used mixed methods. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed four facilitators: routine, efficacy of caregiver education, positive relationship with therapist, and perceived benefit of treatment. The analysis revealed three barriers: lack of time, lack of confidence, and caregiver stress. Conclusions and Relevance: The facilitators and barriers identified are central to best-practice occupational therapy. Therapists can use expertise in analyzing routines and context to maximize the fit between family needs and home therapy recommendations. Plain-Language Summary: Home therapy for children with a neuromotor and neuromuscular diagnosis is common and uses some form of caregiver-performed movement activities or techniques. To support caregivers, occupational therapists need to understand what factors facilitate or serve as barriers to following home therapy recommendations. The review found three barriers: lack of time, lack of confidence, and caregiver stress. The review provides strategies to support home therapy based on core principles of occupational therapy practice. It also identifies the need for more research to support home therapy recommendations that fit within the child's and family's routine, that can be taught in a way that meets the child's and family's learning needs, that facilitate self-efficacy and confidence, and that reflect the values and motivators of all participants. This scoping review identifies factors that facilitate or serve as barriers to caregivers' role in performing home occupational therapy programs for infants and children with a neuromotor and neuromuscular diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) occurs in almost 1/1000 live births potentially resulting in lifelong upper extremity weakness and joint contracture. Early referral and initiation of passive range of motion (PROM) are recommended but there is no standard of care to guide treatment. A descriptive survey study design was used to target occupational and physical therapists who work in brachial plexus clinics to identify current practices for early therapeutic intervention. With 26 respondents, therapists recommend initiating PROM by 4 wks of life performed at every diaper change. Seventy-four percent of therapists report differences in outcomes for children whose caregivers are more adherent, however, there was no significant relationship between frequency of PROM and outcomes. More outcome research is needed to identify an optimal frequency and duration, examine the efficacy of methods for parent education, and identify training methods to facilitate adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: This pilot study investigated the efficacy of passive range of motion (PROM) during the first year of life to prevent development of shoulder contractures in children with brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) and identified facilitators and barriers to caregiver adherence with daily PROM. METHODS: Five caregivers of children with upper trunk BPBI participated in retrospective interviews about the frequency with which they performed PROM during their child's first year of life including facilitators and barriers to daily adherence. Medical records were reviewed for documentation of caregiver-reported adherence and documented evidence of shoulder contracture by age one. RESULTS: Three of the five children had documented shoulder contractures; all three had delayed initiation or inconsistent PROM in the first year of life. Two without shoulder contractures received consistent PROM throughout the first year of life. Making PROM part of the daily routine was a facilitator to adherence while family contextual factors were barriers. CONCLUSION: Absence of shoulder contracture may be related to consistent PROM throughout the first year of life; decreased frequency of PROM after the first month of life did not increase the risk of shoulder contracture. Consideration of family routines and context may facilitate adherence with PROM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 03/21/24 This poster presents findings from a survey of caregivers of infants with brachial plexus birth injury regarding facilitators of and barriers to adherence to home therapy recommendations; best practices for making home recommendations are identified. Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer Wingrat Additional Authors and Speakers: Shayna Gertz, Amy Mae Miller [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 03/21/24 This pilot study assessed the use of passive range of motion (PROM) for decreasing the risk of shoulder contracture in infants with brachial plexus birth injury. Results suggest that early initiation of PROM may be more important than frequency. Primary Author and Speaker: Jennifer Wingrat Additional Authors and Speakers: Matthew J. Elrick [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schoolchildren spend much of their day sitting in classroom furniture that is often too large or too small. To assess the impact of the size and fit of school furniture on the sitting and task behaviors of schoolchildren, 63 fourth-graders were observed while seated in 2 different sizes, types, and arrangements of furniture in their classroom. A correlated group design was used to compare the sitting and task behaviors of the students while seated in their traditional classroom furniture consisting of tables and chairs, and while sitting in smaller, appropriately sized desks and chairs, arranged in clusters and then in rows. The results indicate that the children sat better and were on task more when seated in the smaller furniture, as indicated by a significant main effect for condition, F = 51.478 (4, 330), p<0.05. There was no difference in sitting and task behaviors with the new furniture arranged in clusters compared to rows. Girls showed a slightly greater improvement compared to boys, and there was a significant correlation between better sitting positions and being on-task (r = 0.549, p<0.01). These findings indicate that students would likely benefit from sitting in smaller furniture that fits their size better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]