Infants Born Preterm: Identifying and Addressing Their Special Needs in Early Infancy to Support Development

Course intended to be completed in full.  If you need to arrive late or leave early the CE department must be notified before course takes place for contact hours to be adjusted.

Course Fee: $550

Course Description:

Have you ever felt “at a loss” when treating a one month
old…or an infant whose chronological age hasn’t yet
reached term? Have you ever assessed an infant born
preterm and seen movement issues that weren’t reflected
in the norm referenced tests and checklists? In this
course, you will learn how to assess and treat movement
dysfunction in infants born preterm beginning at NICU
discharge. We will assess movement pattern differences
on which to build effective treatment interventions and
address the challenges unique to the population of infants
born preterm. Assessment skills will be appropriate for
clinic follow-up as well as for use in early intervention
programs.
Intervention handling and facilitation techniques will be
introduced for use during functional activities with infants
born preterm. You will learn to prioritize and adapt baby
treatment techniques to accommodate for the special
energy, respiratory, visual, and medical needs of infants
born preterm. Interventions and techniques will be appropriate
for in-home early intervention and parent coaching.
The instructor will use lecture, video, lab, and problemsolving
formats. During the lab components, you will learn
to treat by working with other class participants and with
dolls. You should bring a beach towel (or yoga mat), a 20"
Raggedy Ann type doll, and wear clothing that is comfortable
and easy to move in.

Instructor:

Jan McElroy graduated from the School of Physical
Therapy at the University of Missouri, completed a Masters
of Science in Physical Therapy and a PhD in Pediatric
Science from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
She draws from over 40 years of pediatric
experience with the 0-3 yr population in a wide range of
settings including NICU, acute care, early intervention,
outpatient, and inpatient rehabilitation. Jan owns a private
pediatric PT practice in Columbia, Missouri. Her teaching
experience includes clinical, classroom, and continuing
education settings including assisting in 8 week pediatric
and 2 week advanced baby NDT courses. She is currently
adjunct faculty at the University of Missouri as the
primary physical therapy faculty on the Maternal-Child
Health, LEND grant. Her continuing education teaching
focuses on baby treatment, assessment and treatment of
infants born preterm, serial casting and temporary foot
supports, and gait. Jan is co-director of the Rocky Mountain
University of Health Professions Continuing Education
Series in Neonatology and Infant Studies.Jan is
currently conducting research in lower extremity movement
patterns in infants born full term and preterm, gait,
hypotonia, and movement in children with autism. Financial
Disclosure: Jan McElroy receives an honorarium from Education
Resources, Inc. Non-financial disclosure: She has no nonfinancial relationship disclosure.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be
able to:
•Compare and contrast developmental movement
components in infants born full term and preterm from
birth.
•Identify insufficient and atypical movement components
seen in infancy that will interfere with the development
of functional activities and development of coordination
as the child reaches school age.
•Use age appropriate treatment strategies for trunk function,
handling, treatment sequencing, child motivation,
and repetition to enhance your repertoire of intervention
techniques and home program activities for infants born
preterm.
•Apply knowledge gained about respiratory, visual, medical,
and physical challenges to effectively enhance
your infant treatment techniques to better meet the
needs of infants born preterm and their families.
•Identify strengths and weaknesses of assessment
tools commonly used for very young infants born
preterm.

Agenda:

Day 1:

8:00-8:30 Registration/Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:00 Introduction and Course Overview
9:00-9:30 Synactive theory, impact and outcomes
9:30-10:15 Problem solving home care activities
based on synactive theory
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:30 Theories of Neuronal Group selection
and Dynamic Systems
11:30-12:00 Problem solving home care activities (cont)
12:00-1:00 Lunch (on your own)
1:00-3:00 Comparing Developmental outcomes
of infants born term and preterm…are
the differences important?
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-5:00 Handling lab: Impact of COM/BOS, gravity,
and biomechanics on infant movement

Day 2:

7:30-8:00 Continental Breakfast
8:00-8:30 Review and Questions
8:30-10:30 Lab: Handling and interventions
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:00 The challenge of breathing for infants
born preterm
12:00-1:00 Lunch (on your own)
1:00-3:00 Respiration and lab (continued)
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-5:00 The impact of various systems on
movement and development (vision,
auditory, GI, musculoskeletal)

Day 3:

7:30-8:00 Continental Breakfast
8:00-8:30 Review and Questions
8:30-10:30 Putting it all together; techniques,
equipment, and the systems
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-2:00 Assessment tools for infants born preterm
12:00-1:00 Lunch (on your own)
1:00-2:45 Synthesis activity
2:45-3:00 Break
3:00-4:00 Synthesis activity (continued) wrap up and discussion

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