The effect of early intervention on sensory, cognitive and motor skills in children at risk of developmental delay: A randomized controlled study

In this study, ıt was aimed to examine the effects of an early intervention program, which includes goal-oriented activities for sensory, cognitive and motor skills, family education and environmental enrichment, on sensory, cognitive and motor outcomes in children at risk of developmental delay. Sixty-one infants aged between 24-36 months were included in the study. Infants were randomly divided into two groups as intervention (n=30) and control (n=31) groups. Infants in the intervention group were given a home program along with an early occupational therapy intervention program. Infants in the control group were given a home program. The infants in the intervention group received an early occupational therapy intervention program for 45 minutes a day, two days a week for 12 weeks. Infants in the control group were followed only with the home program. Infants in both groups before the treatment and after 12 weeks of treatment were assessed by Infants/Toddler Sensory Profile 2 (ITSP 2), Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (Bayley III), Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire- Social Emotional (ASQ-SE). Before the intervention, there was no difference between groups in sociodemographic variables, BÇDP, Bayley III, EGE scores (p>0,05). Post-intervention, a significant difference was observed between the groups in favor of the early occupational therapy intervention group in terms of ITSP 2 all sensory quadrants and behavioral responses related to the sensory process scores, Bayley III cognitive, receptive language, expressive language, gross motor and fine motor sub-parameters score, and ASQ gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social parameters scores (p<0.05). As a result of this study, it was concluded that the early occupational therapy intervention program, which includes goal-oriented activities for sensory, cognitive and motor skills, family education and environmental enrichment, can be used effectively on developmental outcomes in children at risk of developmental delay.