EI SIG Journal Club: (taken from the EI SIG Oct. Newsletter) Lobo, M.A., Harbourne, R.T., Dusing, S.C., & McCoy, S.W. (2013). Grounding early intervention: Physical therapy cannot just be about motor skills anymore. Physical Therapy, 93(1), 94-103. Purpose of the paper: To support the proposition that early intervention (EI) targeting key perceptual-motor behaviors can facilitate a young childs current level of function and participation, as well as advance future ability across developmental domains. Content of the paper: In this perspective article, the authors defend the concept of grounded cognition, or the idea that cognitive development is created, shaped, and maintained by everyday perceptual-motor experiences within environmental, social, and cultural contexts. First, the authors conduct a review of the literature and the results demonstrate that there is a clear gap in the current knowledge regarding which interventions facilitate the best outcomes for young children. The concept of grounded cognition is already embedded in the ecological and dynamic systems theories of development, and the authors discuss the potential for physical therapy interventions to be redesigned on the basis of these theories. Staying within this theoretical framework, the authors present object interaction, sitting, and locomotion as early perceptual-motor behaviors that allow infants to explore their environment and acquire knowledge through experience, thereby serving as models for grounded cognition. The ability to perform perceptual-motor behaviors and examples drawn from research demonstrating how the behaviors broadly facilitate development are also discussed. The next section of the paper provides evidence suggesting that infants, toddlers, and children with delayed exploratory behaviors are at risk for global developmental impairments. Potential interventions are introduced to improve perceptual-motor behaviors and are characterized by the following: a focus on exploration; active trial and error hypothesis testing and variability of practice; high frequency of practice; and caregiver education and involvement. Lastly, the authors recommend that the concept of grounded cognition be actively incorporated into physical therapist practice, education, and research, and offer suggestions to successfully accomplish this goal. Concluding remarks: This article offers a broad perspective on development, and demonstrates the interrelationship of all developmental domains, especially in EI. All too often, physical therapists and physical therapy students solely concentrate on the concepts of motor learning and development without taking into account the implications that come along with improvements in this area. The evidence provided in this article suggests that improved motor skills and exploration of objects and the environment are related to improved cognition, language development, social interaction, and quality of life for infants and toddlers who receive EI services. This article challenges physical therapists and physical therapy students to rethink optimal interventions as those that enhance perceptual-motor experiences. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Young, student physical therapist, at [email protected] or the lead author of this paper, Michele Lobo, at [email protected].
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 14:54:46 +0000
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