Caroline Davenport, OTR/L; Melissa West, OTR/L
Children and Youth | Audience Level: Intermediate
This session examines the occupational therapy practitioner’s role in the NICU and pediatric acute care settings, including how to apply the Synactive Theory of Development and the Family-Environment-Neurobehavioral-Neuromotor-Sensory (FENNS) Framework to guide daily care. Attendees will learn to read infant stress cues and use positioning and handling techniques to help infants reach a calmer, more organized state, along with how to administer standardized assessments such as the NeoNeuro and INFANIB, supplemented by observational skills to guide treatment planning. The session also covers feeding assessments and strategies to support infants with bottle feeding. Throughout, presenters will emphasize the critical role of family involvement in the treatment process to achieve the best outcomes for the infant and child.