Reflexes constitute the foundation for all purposeful movements that occur throughout the lifespan, as automatic responses to stimuli become voluntary and controlled alongside central nervous system (CNS) development. Retained or disinhibited reflexes can be indicative of CNS damage or immaturity, and result in delays and challenges across the lifespan impacting motor skills, sensory processing, and executive functioning. Occupational Therapy (OT) clinicians have the educational background and qualifications to treat disinhibited reflexes and support their client’s engagement in activities of daily living (ADLs), performance skills, and client factors; however, many OTs do not receive formal education on reflex integration and lack the necessary confidence and self-reported competence to treat this in their daily practice. The purpose of this study was to curate cost effective, evidence-based, and functional activity guides for clinicians to utilize in developing interventions to target reflex integration amongst the pediatric population, thus increasing clinician confidence and competence. The needs assessment and program evaluation component utilized a pre- and post-test survey designed with Likert scale questions for clinicians to rate general perceived competence regarding reflex integration interventions as well as their confidence in treating specific reflexes. Clinicians were then provided access to a resource focusing on 6 specific reflexes including general information, assessment guides, symptoms of retention, and 5-8 in-depth activity guides to target integration of that specific reflex. An in-service presentation was also utilized to support the provision of this resource. Overall, clinician self-reported confidence significantly improved following clinician education and availability of the resources developed.
Rachel Estreicher (Tue,) studied this question.