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 4 suggestions when providing CIMT, bimanual therapy and OT home programs:

1. Encourage the child to participate in goal setting.
2. Suggest activities that match the child and family’s goals.
3. Demonstrate ways to grade the activity so that it is the just right challenge.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Do you work with young children with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities or delays?  Are you in search of new, creative ideas for your therapy sessions?  Do you need home exercise program sheets to encourage carry over of therapeutic activities? Do you need simple ideas that use materials that you have around your house, therapy room or classroom already?  Do you work with children who receive constraint or bimanual therapy?   Therapeutic Play Activities for Children includes 100 play activity sheets with a photo of the activity, purpose of each activity and materials list.  The 12 tip sheets include topics such as modifications, peer interaction, guided play, prompts and several specifically for children with cerebral palsy.   The play activities encourage the development of fine motor skills, bimanual skills, rolling, crawling, tall kneeling, standing balance and cruising with a strong focus on children with cerebral palsy. Find out more information.

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