Feasibility of an early intervention protocol performed by parents in infants of biological risk: influencing factors and perspective of parents and/or caregiversb

• Grant number: 21/02510-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira Rocha
• Grantee: Isabela Cristina Donofre
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Early Intervention is intended to meet the needs of children with developmental delay or biological risk for developmental delay, being pointed out as effective due to the plasticity brain, greater in the first years of life. However, due to the pandemic of COVID-19, face-to-face care, especially for at-risk populations, had a significant reduction. Therefore, new strategies have been implemented in order to guarantee therapeutic assistance for this population, such as the practices of telecare. Such practices make it possible for intervention programs to be carried out online, in which therapists provide guidance to the caregivers of infants. However, it is essential that the feasibility of telecare be verified, as well as the contextual factors that influence adherence to such practices. Objective: to verify the feasibility of a protocol for early intervention performed by parents in the form of telecare, in infants with biological risk for developmental delay, through the perspective of caregivers of these infants. Also, check which variables related to the environmental and personal factors facilitate or hinder adherence to a protocol of remote early intervention. Methods: a prospective longitudinal study, of nature, applied, performed remotely (online) in its entirety. will be included in the study infants from 3 to 9 months of corrected age, with moderate biological risk high for developmental delay. The protocol will last for 10 weeks and the intervention will consist of a protocol with guidance in a home environment(carried out by parents), task-oriented and context-oriented. Study infants will be assessed for motor skills (Infant Motor Profile and Alberta Infant Motor Scale), participation (Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure),mother-child interaction (Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment), and the availability of environmental resources (Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development). The feasibility of applying and adhering to the protocol according to the Parents' perspectives will be assessed in three steps: 1) Qualitative parental assessment in relation to the protocol; 2) Assessment of protocol adherence rates; 3) Evaluation of facilitators and barriers to adherence to the protocol. The analyzes will adopt a level of significance of 5% and, for all, the statistical software Statistical will be used Package for the Social Sciences. Expected results: It is estimated that variables of environmental and personal factors may act as facilitators or barriers to an effective adherence to an online intervention protocol.(AU)