Getting started in Early Intervention as an Occupational Therapist
Looking to get started in Early Intervention as an Occupational Therapist? This post covers all the things you need to know about getting started in Early Intervention including the role of the Early Intervention Occupational Therapist and 9 tips and resources every new Early Intervention OT needs to know before they start their first job.
So you want to be an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist?
Maybe you're transitioning from another area of practice.
Or maybe you're a brand new graduate looking for your first position?
Either way, I've got you covered in this blog post on some of the best tips on getting started in the amazing field of Early Intervention.
Early intervention is my favorite practice setting because it represents the holistic spirit of Occupational Therapy and serves families and children in their natural environment.
Wanna know another reason I love Early Intervention?
In these times of crazy productivity requirements and insurance-driven outcomes, our tiny world of Early Intervention is much less affected by those things and continues to put the family and client at the forefront!
What is Early Intervention?
Early Intervention (or EI for short) are services and supports that are available to families of babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities or those at risk for delays.
Most EI programs offer a wide variety of services including speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, special education teachers, social workers, and other types of services based on the needs of the child and family.
Early Intervention can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills and overcome challenges and can increase success in school and life.
Who is eligible for Early Intervention services?
While the eligibility criteria can vary from one state to another, Early Intervention evaluations are offered to families of children aged birth to 3 years olds (some programs are birth to 5 years old) with a known or delay in development and/or children at risk for developmental delay.
Most often these evaluations are free or at a reduced cost for families. Families or medical professionals can make a referral to the Early Intervention program.
How do families find a local Early Intervention program?
Programs are available in every US state and territory (click here for a list of US EI program contacts).
The role of the Occupational Therapist in Early Intervention
The Early Intervention Occupational Therapist’s role as defined by AOTA entails 8 core principles:
1.Occupation
OT’s help to support the “occupations” of infants and toddlers including play, sleep, feeding, dressing, toileting, social participation, and education (e.g., pre-literacy, adaptive, cognitive, communication, physical, social and emotional development).
2.Participation
One of the core principles of Early Intervention is that Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts.
Early Intervention OTs work with families to learn about their daily routines.
Then, OTs problem solve with the family to embed strategies into their everyday routines for increased opportunities to boost development.
3. Family-centered
Families and caregivers know their children best!
Early Intervention OTs rely on families to know their children’s strengths and challenges and outcomes are based on their priorities...not just a child’s developmental delays.
4. Family capacity and resources
Not all families have the same capacity and resources (medically, financially, etc.).
The role of the Early Intervention OT is to understand and respect this fact and meet families “where they are at” and provide resources to support them when needed.
5. Natural environments
Early Intervention takes place wherever the child spends time. This may include home, daycare, caregiver’s home, a community park, etc.
6. Family routines and rituals
Early Intervention OTs prioritize the family’s routines and then individualize strategies (based on their learning styles, preferences, and cultural beliefs) to help families become more successful in that routine.
7. Culturally-Sensitive
Early Intervention OTs are culturally sensitive and seek to learn more about a family’s cultural beliefs vs. judge.
8. Evidence-based
Another EI principle is IFSP outcomes must be functional and based on children’s and family’s needs and priorities.
When each family understands that strategies are worth working on because they lead to practical improvements in the child’s and family’s lives, outcomes are achieved more often.
Getting started as an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist
How do I find an Early Intervention OT job?
So you want to work in Early Intervention but don’t know how to land that perfect position?
Here are some places to search:
Online search engines (Indeed, Monster)
AOTA Job Link (job seekers)
Call your state/county EI office and inquire directly about becoming an Early Intervention provider.
Local pediatric private therapy clinics
And before you have that interview, check out this post on How to rock your Early Intervention interview.
Top 9 tips for getting started as a new Early Intervention Occupational Therapist
So you’ve landed your dream job...now what?
First, take a deep breath and repeat….I don’t have to know it all right away!
Here are some of my best tips on what to do while you await your first EI family and things to continue to refine as you build your caseload:
1.Learn/review typical development in all five areas
As Occupational Therapists, we need to have knowledge of all five areas of development.
These include adaptive, motor, cognitive, social-emotional, and communication domains.
Here are some resources to brush up on those milestones so you’ll have a good understanding of neurotypical development.
2. Learn/Review the basics of sensory processing
Young children are learning about the world around them through their senses.
Having a good understanding of each of the sensory systems and ways to educate families on sensory processing is one of the main roles of an Occupational Therapist in Early Intervention.
OT programs vary greatly with the amount of training their students receive in sensory processing.
Focusing your continuing education efforts on this topic will be worth the investment.
Check out the Star Institute website for lots of helpful information.
3.Observe neurotypical development of children in the 0-3 range.
Getting some experience babysitting, playing with friends' children, and speaking with parents of children in this age range will go a long way in building your confidence with your observation and communication skills.
4. Review assessments
Ask your employer which assessments they are using and then review them.
If you’ll be an independent contractor, start exploring which assessments you’d like to use.
Here are some of my favorite family-friendly EI assessments in this post.
Assessments are also a great way to review your typical development!
5. Get your organization systems in place
EI is all about flexibility (think one kiddo is napping and another can’t have therapy at that time because they are dropping off a sibling at school).
Having your family’s contact information in one central location is key to being able to schedule and reschedule your family.
Asking them upfront what the best way to communicate with them (ie. text, email, phone) is also key to being able to flex your schedule.
6. Build your team
Connect with other disciplines and see if you’re able to schedule a ride-along to see a real EI session in action.
Inquire to see if there are opportunities to join team meetings or create some of your own.
7. Find your community
At some point, you will encounter families that are needing some resources outside the scope of OT practice.
Typically, your service coordinators (case managers) are your go-to people to help identify other service professionals in your community.
Sometimes they will have a list of professionals for families to explore, so ask if they could share it with you too!
8. Work on your mindset
Early Intervention is all about taking a family-focused lens and focusing on the strengths of the child and family unit while individualizing strategies to work on their challenges within their daily routines.
While you will certainly offer insight into child development and help educate your families on many things, you are not the expert in their child!
Shifting the focus from a direct service provider to a family-focused provider comes with lots of practice and patience.
More time observing and empowering the caregivers to interact with their child should be the priority!
So..no need to worry about what to pack into that therapy bag!
Instead, focus on creativity and think about what household/community materials could be used to stimulate a child’s development.
9. Find a mentor
Hopefully, your agency will be able to partner you up with a more experienced practitioner if this is your first Early Intervention OT job.
Mentorship is critical to your professional development in Early Intervention since you will spend the majority of your time on your own with families.
The role of the Early Intervention OT can be very rewarding, yet also overwhelming and emotionally/physically draining at times.
This overwhelm can lead to burnout if not addressed.
This dilemma is what led me to create 2 different programs to support Early Intervention Occupational Therapists.
2 ways to gain mentorship and support in your Early Intervention practice
The first option, The Therapy Village is a place where new and experienced Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants working in the world of Early Intervention come together to learn new skills, collaborate with each other, gain mentorship, and obtain time-saving valuable resources all from the comfort of home!
The membership includes a library of masterclasses, guest interviews, mini-lessons, parent handouts, done-for-you treatment resources, and monthly group mentorship with Melanie and other Therapy Village members where you can problem-solve your cases and get your questions answered.
This is so much more than a course. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to broaden your learning in a variety of specialty areas, gain a supportive community of other OTs that “get it”, and increase your confidence as an Early Intervention OT!
Check out all the amazing Therapy Village membership benefits here!
The second option to gain mentorship through Growing Little Brains is through our newly-created 6-week group mentorship opportunity. This is specifically for new-to-the-field Occupational Therapy professionals or new graduate OTPs looking to land an EI job. In just 6 weeks, this experience will transform you from a newbie to a confident Early Intervention OTP through weekly lessons and weekly online group calls to apply this knowledge to your caseload.
Find out more about this 6-week group mentorship opportunity here!
Looking for Early Intervention related CEU’s instead?
Check out Growing Little Brains’ FREE AOTA-approved course titled “Getting Started in Early Intervention" here!
and then 5.5 hour AOTA-approved “Getting Started with Parent Coaching” course here!
Looking for more posts like this one? Check out these popular posts:
50+ ways to rock your Early Intervention Teletherapy sessions
5 tips to simplify the transition from therapist to parent coach
How to rock your Early Intervention interview
7 Family-friendly OT Assessments for Early Intervention
References:
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). What is the role of Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/Children/Browse/EI/Role-of-OT_1/Early-Intervention-FAQ.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). What is “Early Intervention”? Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html
