Developmental Post #22

As your preemie starts growing and developing there are more things that he/she can do and will need to learn how to do. If you are in an early intervention program (or even if you aren't), you will start to have goals and things to work on with your preemie. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to try and fit therapy into your schedule however if you think about it - there are a lot of opportunities to work on various goals throughout the day.

For example - if you are working on playing peek-a-boo then you can you work on it during mealtimes, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime and even bedtime.

My son's developmental therapist created a great chart for him that had our general schedule on the top and his developmental goals down the side. We filled in the boxes with the various ways I could incorporate "therapy time" into these basic activities. As he progressed and had new goals, we simply made a new chart. Here's an example using Peek-a-boo:

Working on peek-a-boo:

Mealtime - cover small toys or objects with a dish towel and let him pull it off
Diaper/clothing change - cover your face (or his) with a diaper or clothes and then remove it
Play with mom/dad - hide behind furniture and pop out while saying peek-a-boo
Play on his own - give him different kinds of cloths and blankets to play with
Bathtime - cover up toys in the bath with a washcloth or hide behind the shower curtain an pop out
Bedtime/Wake up - after he wakes up, peek around the door until he sees you.

Sometimes just having it written down and going through the process of brainstorming various ways to do therapy can help you remember and come up with new ideas. If you make a chart, I would encourage you to hang it in a place where you see it everyday.