Interview with anonymous OT

The following Interview was conducted with an qualified Occupational Therapist (OT) that currently works in a Special Care Baby Unit. Permission was gained to publish this information but due to this interview being published over the web the Source wishes to remain anonymous. So in this post the Interviewee shall be referred to as SCBU-OT.

Questions and Answers:
1. What is your role as an OT in the SCBU?

SCBU-OT:

• A neurodevelopmental assessment is completed with every baby that is referred (hammersmith neonatal neurological examination).


• Education to prevent excessive or inappropriate sensory aspects of the environment.


• Education with development of age-appropriate occupations (ie. feeding), sensorimotor processes, parent child bonding, and neurobehavioral milestones.


• positioning of the infant in the bassinet as well as educating parents in supportive ways to hold the infant, including "Kangaroo Care".


• Implementation of sensory programs.


• Liaison with nursing staff and other allied health staff.


• Referral and liason with the visiting neurodevelopmental therapist.

2. Who are your typical clients?

SCBU-OT

• marked prematurity < 31 weeks gestation


• Under 1500g


• Developmental concerns


• Questionable or abnormal tone or posturing i.e. poor head and trunk control, asymmetries, hyper - hypotonicity


• prolonged hospitalisation


• sensory impairments

3. How do you integrate Sensory Integration in your approach to treatment?

SCBU-OT: Do not over stimulate. Use one stimulus at a time. For example, when holding/touching, or rocking do not sing or make eye contact at the same time. Or when making eye contact do not talk or sing. Use or engage one sense at a time. Overtime, and as the infant develops and grows, increasing stimuli to say rocking and singing may be better tolerated.

4. What do you do with babies? and how do you help their families?

SCBU-OT: By watching cues, and engaging in appropriate stimulation you can begin to help babies develop their senses in a way that will aid in their physical and emotional growth as well as creating parent-child bonds. Interacting with the child during this period also gives parents a sense of belonging and accomplishment in tending to the needs and care of their child.