Occupational Therapy Resources for Early Intervention Practitioners

Reviewed:

This topical guide will introduce you to important books, videos, and information resources available from the EI Clearinghouse and other sources. Contact us via online form or by phone (1-877-275-3227) to request a resource listed below (or ask your local public librarian). Note that some videos may be viewed online, and journal titles will take you to the publisher’s homepage.

mom and child playing with blocks

Books

1001 Pediatric Treatment Activities: Creative Ideas for Therapy Sessions
Ayelet Danto
SLACK Incorporated, 2016
This book provides proprioceptive, motor planning, vestibular, tactile, oral motor, and other activities for OTs and other providers to use with young children.
Call#: WB 39 .D236 2016

Fine Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals
Maryanne Bruni
Woodbine House, 2006
The expanded edition of this book presents an overview of fine motor development and how the characteristics of Down syndrome can impact the acquisition and progression of these skills.
Call#: WS 107 .B896f 2006

Foundations of Pediatric Practice for the Occupational Therapy Assistant
Amy Wagenfeld and Jennifer Kaldenberg (Eds.)
Slack, 2005
This book addresses specific pediatric skill sets and employs an interdisciplinary perspective. Each chapter incorporates case studies and discussion questions.
Call#: WS 368 .F771w 2005

Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents
Jane Case-Smith and Jane Clifford O’Brien
Elsevier, 2015
This book provides information on the foundations and practice models for occupational therapy with children, interventions and strategies for challenging behaviors, feeding intervention, etc.
Call#: WS 368 .C2667 2015

Occupational Therapy Models for Intervention with Children and Families
Sandra Barker Dunbar (Ed.)
Slack, 2007
This volume explores the latest theories in pediatric occupational therapy while illustrating the broader contexts of environment and family so that practitioners can meet diverse occupational needs in a range of settings.
Call#: WS 368 .O15d 2007

Play in Occupational Therapy for Children
L. Diane Parham and Linda Fazio (Eds.)
Mosby Elsevier, 2008
This book discusses the importance of play in pediatric occupational therapy and highlights play theories and assessments reached from research.
Call#: WS 350.2 .P229 2008

Positioning for Play: Interactive Activities to Enhance Movement and Sensory Exploration
Rachel Diamant and Allison Whiteside
Pro-ed, 2010
This book for parents and early interventionists contains a collection of reproducible sheets detailing developmentally appropriate activities that enhance the movement, motor skills, and sensory abilities of young children experiencing a developmental delay.
Call#: WS 350.4 .D537 2010

Understanding Motor Skills in Children with Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism, and Other Learning Disabilities: A Guide to Improving Coordination
Lisa Kurtz
Jessica Kingsley, 2008
This manual offers practical strategies and advice for serving children with coordination difficulties.
Call#: WS 340 .K96 2008

Working with Children and Adolescents: A Guide for the Occupational Therapy Assistant
Janet DeLany and Margaret Pendzick
Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009
Using vignettes, case studies, and other strategies, this book provides comprehensive information on evidence-based practice in occupational therapy with children.
Call#: WS 368 .D337w 2009

Videos

Applying Sensory Integration Principles Where Children Live, Learn, and Play
30 min; DVD
Pediatric Therapy Network, 2003
This video examines the application of sensory integration principles in a range of natural environments such as the home and community for children with and without special needs.
Call#: WE 104 .A652dvd 2003

Embracing Play: Teaching Your Child with Autism
47 min; DVD
Woodbine House, 2006
This video examines object-oriented play as a method of engaging young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Call#: WM 203.5 E53 2000

Getting Kids In Sync With SAFE Activities
27 min; DVD
Las Vegas: Sensory Resources; 2002
Carol S. Kranowitz demonstrates activities that help children of all abilities to develop their bodies and integrate their senses.
Call#: WS 340 .K89g 2002

Learn to Move, Move to Learn: Dinosaurs
19 min; DVD
Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2005
This video demonstrates seven sensorimotor activities and how they can be combined into fun games for children.
Call#: WS 340 .L438 2005

Organizations

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is the national professional association established in 1917 to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy and to improve the quality of occupational therapy services.

American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF)
The AOTF is a charitable, scientific, and educational organization existing for the advancement of occupational therapy through research, education, publications, and leadership development. The AOTF Web site contains information on scholarship and grant opportunities, research initiatives, publications, and more.

Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA)
The ILOTA is the official representative of the occupational therapy profession in the state of Illinois. The ILOTA Web site contains Web resources, employment opportunities, continuing education opportunities, and more.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
A nonprofit credentialing agency, the NBCOT provides certification for occupational therapists through developing, administering, and reviewing certification processes that reflect current standards of practice.

Articles

American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(6), 681-685
Occupational Therapy Services in Early Intervention and School-based Programs
Gloria Frolek Clark, Jean Polichino, Leslie Jackson, & Sara Jane Brayman. (2004)
This article provides a thorough overview of the role of occupational therapy in services to young children at risk for or experiencing a developmental delay.

American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(2), 212-220
Descriptive Study of Occupational Therapists’ Participation in Early Childhood Transitions
Christine Teeters Myers. (2008)
This study describes the role of occupational therapists during the transition of young children with special needs from early intervention to preschool. It also analyzes the transition from preschool to kindergarten.

Occupational Therapy International, 10(4), 239-252
Occupational Therapy and Early Intervention: A Family-Centred Approach
Margaret A. Edwards, Paula Millard, Lee Ann Praskac, & Patricia A. Wisniewski. (2003)
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that encourage or discourage family-centered practice during occupational therapy.

Infants and Young Children, 28(2), 123-132
Occupational Therapy Contributions in Early Intervention: Implications for Personnel Preparation and Interprofessional Practice
Mary Muhlenhaupt, Kris Pizur-Barnekow, et al. (2015)
This article describes occupational therapy’s distinct value and presents the profession’s perspective on services to enhance families’ caregiving capacity and increase their young children’s participation in home and community settings where all children typically grow, learn, and develop.

Web Resources

Resources to support early intervention practice
This site provides official documents to guide decision making about education, practice, advocacy, and policy and use practical resources to guide early intervention assessment and treatment.

What Makes a Good Toy?
Stores today are full of toys with “eye appeal” for children and adults. This can make it hard to tell if a toy is worth buying. After all, a child can turn almost anything into a toy! Here are some questions to keep in mind when you make decisions about toys for children. Also in Spanish and Polish.

World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT)
The WFOT is an international professional organization. The WFOT Web site contains information on evidence-based practice, occupational therapy news, and information on occupational therapy in individual countries.