CIMT, Bimanual Therapy and OT Home Programs
CIMT, Bimanual Therapy and OT Home Programs: The British Journal of Occupational Therapy published a research review to determine how bimanual therapy and modified constraint induced movement therapy or constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) methods are used for occupational therapy home programs.
A literature search was completed and 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. The research review revealed the following:
- family collaboration, strategic use of outcome measures, construction of the program within the home environment and occupation-focused goals and activities were commonly used methods.
- enhanced descriptions of intervention context, getting the child’s input for goal development and challenges in occupational balance were considered gaps in the programs.
The researchers concluded that using bimanual therapy and CIMT in an OT home program requires the combination of motor and non-motor approaches, core OT skills and respect of family preferences. They recommended that the child help in goal setting to improve participation.
Here are 5 suggestions when providing CIMT, bimanual therapy and OT home programs:
- Encourage the child to participate in goal setting.
- Suggest activities that match the child and family’s goals.
- Demonstrate ways to grade the activity so that it is the just right challenge.
- Create the home program in the child’s natural environment in the home i.e. use the child’s own toys or materials from around the house.
- Use a variety of outcome measures to determine progress.
Reference: Milton, Y., & Roe, S. (2016). Occupational therapy home programmes for children with unilateral cerebral palsy using bimanual and modified constraint induced movement therapies: A critical review. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 0308022616664738.
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