Preparing Occupational Therapists for Effective Family-Centered Best Practice in Early Intervention

Abstract

The State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate's occupational therapy (OT) Program has worked over the last decade and a half providing advanced training in early intervention (EI) through 3 OT programs for practicing and preservice occupational therapists. There are many challenges in the preparation of entry-level practitioners to work effectively using family-centered best practices. This article describes a family partnership experience (FPE), which is part of SUNY Downstate's advanced training in EI. This article outlines the evolution of our FPE through 3 advanced training programs. In these FPEs, the OT students spend time with families who receive EI during their daily lives. Students complete assignments to identify the families' priorities and concerns, understand roles and routines, and assist families to access community resources. Through this FPE, students learn about the family's perspective. This article presents quantitative and qualitative data of the FPE through students' report in course evaluations, pre- and post–self-assessed competency, and informal interviews over the 3 higher education OT programs.