SPATIOTEMPORAL ADAPTATION FRAME OF REFERENCE

                               SPATIOTEMPORAL ADAPTATION FRAME OF REFERENCE

1.      THEORY:

·         Gilfoyle et al. (1981, 1990) focus on sensorimotor adaptations essential for functional skills.

·         There is a direct link between sensorimotor development and communication development (Uys, 1997) and it is therefore important to review this model. 

·         They view the environment as primary stimulus for developing skills necessary for performing within a specific context.  Spatiotemporal adaptation is a process by which the child discovers and absorbs information from the environment and it has a developmental sequence and matures with the alteration or modification of performance. 

·         The spatiotemporal adaptation is, therefore, a process of continual interactions among growth, maturation, development and environmental transactions.  This theory is underpinned by four components, namely assimilation and accommodation (similar to Piaget’s cognitive development), association and differentiation.

Ø  Assimilation – refers to the taking in of stimulus information

Ø  Accommodation – denotes adjustment of the body to react to incoming stimuli

Ø  Association – relates sensory information with the motor act being experienced as well as relating knowledge of past experience to current experience

Ø  Differentiation – is the process of discriminating the qualities of the specific behavior pertinent to the given situation that requires modification or alteration  

·         Association is seen as the organised process of relating the sensory information with the motor act and of relating present and past experiences with each other. 

·         Differentiation is the process of discriminating between the essential elements of a specific behaviour that are pertinent to a given situation, and distinguishing those that are not pertinent, thereby modifying or altering the behaviour in some way. 

·         Association and differentiation form an integral part of sensory feedback that occurs in time and space of the environment. Adaptation is presented in a spiral like developmental phenomenon progressing from primitive to mature neurological responses. 

·         The Theory of spatiotemporal adaptation is identified as a strong focus on the development of motor behaviours with an implicit understanding that competence in motor skills sub serves development of other facets of the child

·         Adaptation the continuous adjustment of bodily processes to the the demands of the environment of time and space

·         Spatiotemporal adaptation theoretical frame of reference has its core the spiraling process of modifying a child actions by facilitating higher level functioning

2.      OBJECTIVE:

·         The primary objective of the intervention services is linking strategies and sequences to be adapted for skilled performance with play ,work ,self-care tasks`

·         Inherent with in the evolution of skill is subcortical organization of neuromuscular functions which becomes part of the self –system to be called forth purposeful performance

3.      SPATIOTEMPORAL ADAPTATION THEORY:

·         A spatiotemporal frame of reference considers the impact of nervous system attention and transaction of the child with his environment.

·         Maturation is depending upon the child’s attention to active participation with events of the environment

·         Thus learning and memory are enhanced and performance modified through the child ‘s attention and active participation with goal-directed purposeful behaviors

·         Adaptation is accomplishing through an effective:

Ø  Sensory motor system{SMS} that uses all cranio spinal sensory receptors, effectors of the muscle and glands, and sensory re-afferents or circuits for feedback .feedback loop allows the body process to readjust in an ongoing way to each new piece of sensory information ,much of which result of motor behaviour

Ø  Developmental nature  refers to the hierarchical properties of the central nervous system , the concept of neuroplasticity ,and the growth ,maturation ,and intergration of neuromuscular properties of movement.

Ø  Purposeful nature is reflected in strategies of posture and movement that allow activation  or mobility {movement }to emanate from a base of control or posture {stability} for performance of desired actions. Postural strategies control movement, and movement strategies give rise to purposeful action

Ø  Spiraling continuum it compasses the sensorimotor sensory feedback process the maturation and modification of the maturing nervous system and integration of old with new development.

4.      AIMS AND GOALS:

·         The effect of therapy depends upon change or modification that a child can elicit with in self by adapting the occupation being experienced into the self-system.

·         Adapting purposeful experience depends upon the competence of the child’s internal environment (mastery level performance directed by the self-esteem) together with expectation of the external environment (the system with which the child interact) include space ,objects and persons with in the child’s milieu. 

        

5.      PRINCIPLES:

·         Four important principles support the spiraling continuum of spatiotemporal adaptation:

Ø  A child ‘s adaptation process wit new experiences is dependent upon past acquired behavior.

Ø  With integration of past experiences with new experiences ,the past behaviors are modified in some manner and result in a higher level behavior.

Ø  Integration of higher level behavior influences and increases the maturity of lower  level behavior.

Ø  Lower level function or performance patterns may emerge during adaptation whenever the environmental demands exceed the functional capabilities of the child , resulting in a spatiotemporal stress reduction.

Ø  This can be positive growth experience challenging the child to use old knowledge skills to support new attempts to interact with more complex situations

Ø  Higher levels of function may be blocked while the child repeats lower level of adaptation

Ø  Repetition of purposeless lower level behaviors may lead to maladaptation in other developmental domains and has important implications for treatment

·         Three principles are specified by the spiralling continuum, namely

Ø  Adaptation to new experiences is dependent upon past acquired functions

Ø  During the integration of past functions with the actions of new experiences, past functions are modified in some way, resulting in higher level, more mature functions

Ø  The integration of higher level functions influences and increases the maturity of lower level functions.  Thus spiralling implies that a child does not acquire totally new functions, but rather functions that are modifications of older lower level responses

6.      ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL THRAPIST:

·         A responsibility of an occupational therapist is an ongoing of structuring the environment, including a child, in such a manner to promote opportunities for a child to attend to and participated with events that facilitate a meaningful response for the self- system.

·         Key factors for an occupational therapy spatiotemporal adaptation program

Ø  Cortical  attention – directed toward the end result of an event

Ø  Sub –cortical- directed to the process to achieve the event

·         Active participation with play, work ,and self-care occupations can facilitate meaningful or purposeful responses when the environment, including a child ,is structured in such a manner to direct higher level functioning adapted from appropriate, acquired  lower level performances.

·         Occupational therapist to facilitate a purposeful adaptive response

·         To provide occupational therapy to children with special need

·         The therapist to understand biologically, psychologically, and sociologically needs the more clearly the biopsychosocial process underlying human behavior

·         Implementation process may include a variety of media, methods, techniques ,and or approaches; the technology selected must be applied to a child’s need and uniqueness ,with the ultimate goal of facilitating a child’s adaptation to the spatial and temporal components

7.      PRINCIPLES OF INTERVENTION:

·         The primary role of an occupational therapist is to structure the environment in a manner to promote the purposefulness of experiences for the child that the self-system has not been able to do for itself.

·         Therapist guide those appropriate actions/occupation so that the child can explore the environment with meaningful experiences.

·         Occupational therapy provides an appropriate environment that motivates a child to engage in purposeful experience for adaptation.

·         Adaptation occurs when a child ‘s level of competence is in harmony with the environment’s expectations of the child

8.      INTERVENTION:

·         The therapist use positioning ,selected task and relationship, active participation, technology, and equipment to promote developmentally appropriate adaptive responses within the frame work of building blocks of neuromuscular maturation plus the intermingling of sequential levels of development 

                  Sequence for development of purposeful activity        

·         Primitive phase – may have its base in reflex responses {primary standing ,primary walking }

·         Transitional phase – incorporates voluntary components of movement {pull to stand, supported standing, supported walking}

·         Mature phase-demonstrates skill {squatting ,standing, walking}

                Occupation and therapeutic media

·         Occupation that brings meaning to a person can be used for therapeutic media as a means to restore or enhance the development of life skills;therefore the uniqueness of occupational therapy is its role as custodian of meaning

·         Occupation as defined includes those play, work, and self-care action events that provide opportunities for exploration and mastery of the environment.

·         Occupation is the basic media for spatiotemporal adaptation process as it is essential to the therapeutic process to facilitate or restore productive living for individuals with special needs.

·         A child motivation or natural drive to play is an excellent way to facilitate active participation with environmental with environment events and thus enhance spatiotemporal adaptation