Positioning to promote best performance

Positioning can be used to achieve the following:

• Support the best position for engagement and participation e.g. visual interaction, play,  feeding.
• Provide the opportunity for the infant to experience different positions that they may otherwise miss (e.g. due to underlying medical conditions or environmental factors).  This can help to promote experience of movement in different planes/directions.
• Limit postural challenges and isolate movement to achieve success and mastery

Positioning can be achieved through handling the baby, or use of the body, equipment or everyday supports (e.g. towels and pillows).  Promoting the child’s performance is often gained by working collaboratively with other health professionals such as Physiotherapists or Speech Pathologists.  

Discuss joint goals to ensure sessions can both challenge movement and positional abilities as well as provide the opportunity for occupational mastery (e.g. Feeding, Play and Interaction).

In the photo below the infant’s best performance is promoted by:

• Being well supported by the playmat. This position is less physically demanding so the infant is more likely to be able to play in this position for longer and experience play mastery.
• Gravity helping to bring hands to the midline for bimanual play.
• Hands are in the visual field.