The Explorer Baby early intervention program
trial‐and‐error behaviors, hypertonia, hypotonia
Explorer Baby is a family‐centered and active learning program for infants and parents. The program consists of three main contents and their sub‐contents. The first is family‐centered practices; the second is the play behaviors of infants; and the third is creating learning opportunities (environmental enrichment). We followed the family‐centered practice while communicating with the parents, especially while determining intervention goals, and understanding the parents’ priorities (Dunst & Espe‐Sherwindt, The characteristic play content includes the infants’ adaptation, temperament, motivation, and explorative behaviors. In this context, experts and parents observe the explorative behaviors of the infant together. For example, experts and parents attempted to understand how the infant is motivated during a game, how the infant tends to stop playing or increase play/trial behaviors, what an infant does when games are too complicated, and how the infant calms down after stressful situations. In this program, parents are active and have bidirectional communication with experts.Environmental enrichment content includes improving trial‐and‐error behaviors in motor, cognitive, language, and social fields. Experts and parents observe how the environment (toys, pillows, play positions, and strange people) affects an infant's play behaviors, and what happens when the infant sees an object.Additionally, the Explorer Baby program has body structure issues. The expert asks themselves, “Are there any body structure issues, such as hypotonia, hypertonia, sensory, or regulation problems, that can affect an infant's play behaviors?” As the infant's exploratory behaviors may cure these findings, the standard program is applied for the first sessions. However, if these findings persist and disrupt play behaviors, the expert sets up additional therapy sessions to address these issues (Figure Practical guideline for explorer baby.The Explorer Baby program contains kangaroo care, massage, and adaptation of different play positions, such as prone, supine, and side‐lying, improved parent‐baby interaction, and explorative play behaviors for the first 3 months of life. In the second 3 months of life, the Explorer Baby program highlights active playtime, explorative behaviors such as moving around, using both hands activities, kicking, reaching around, and self‐regulation (calming down or taking a rest during hard efforts).