Expanding Practice in Trinidad and Tobago: Training Therapists to Implement Pediatric Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy

Abstract

While the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) recommends that occupational therapists (OTs) competently respond to changing environments and new clinical practice and research demands (WFOT, 2012), there are many challenges for therapists to engage in professional development in countries where resources and specialized expertise are limited. The purpose of this article is to describe a successful educational collaboration between therapists in Trinidad and the United States to further training of Trinidad and Tobago therapists on evidence-based pediatric intensive therapy models, with a focus on pediatric constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). The authors applied a translational framework to build capacity for pediatric CIMT in Trinidad which included in-country didactic education and hands-on experience with pediatric patients. This collaboration led to the development of a locally feasible and contextually relevant form of pediatric CIMT which was successfully piloted in Trinidad and Tobago. Intentional efforts must be made to build a competent OT workforce in countries with workforce challenges to ensure that children and adults seeking high quality care can receive an excellent standard of care.