New and Expanded Neuropsychosocial Concepts Complementary to Llorens' Developmental Theory: Achieving Growth and Development through Occupation for Neonatal Infants and their Families

This book analyzes and suggests an expansion of Llorens’ developmental theory of occupational therapy, applying these concepts in a final schematic model for use by occupational therapists, occupational scientists, and others involved in occupational tasks, relationships, and activities. The book then uses the International Classification of Functioning in a context of health promotion and disease prevention to relate the expanded theory to psychosocial, cognitive, and sensorimotor correlates in preterm infants and their families in the neonatal intensive care unit and after discharge to the home environment. Last, it provides an NICU infant case illustration on the Developmental Analysis, Evaluation, and Intervention Schedule. The major theme of this book focuses upon expanding the psychological, neurophysiological, and sociological aspects of Llorens’ developmental theory for a person-occupation-environment based practice and research. The book will then correlate these concepts with current terminology from the World Health Organization, and specialized knowledge and skills in the neonatal intensive care unit. This book was published as a special issue of Occupational Therapy in Mental Health.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Lela L. Llorens; Preface Lynne F. La Corte; Introduction PART 1: THEORY ANALYSIS AND NEW CONCEPTS Tracing the Model’s History; Developmental Model Explained: Sections 1, 2, and 3 of Facilitating Growth and Development; Llorens’ Subsequent Publications and Model Changes; Activity Theory, Growth Models, and the Change Process: Theorists Represented by Llorens; Suggested Modifications to the Psychodynamic Schematic Component; Conclusion: Recommended Modification to Psychodynamics; Analysis of Three New Theorists for the Expansion of Facilitating Growth and Development in Occupational Therapy; Discussion of Bandura, Bronfenbrenner, and Bruner as Related to Llorens’ Theory; Conclusion of Part 1 PART 2: OCCUPATIONAL PHYSIOLOGY Adaptive Occupation Begins with Purposeful Activity Sequences; Central Pattern Generation Across the Lifespan; Emergent and Distributed Systems: CPG Mechanisms and the Dynamics of Neurochaos; Occupational Physiology; Archi, Paleo, and Neo Systems in Central Pattern Generation; Occupational Theory in the NICU; Influencing Occupational Physiology in the NICU through Purposeful Activity; Discussion; Conclusion of Part 2 PART 3: APPLICATION OF NEW CONCEPTS AND NEURO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS Revisions, Modifications, and Additions to the Llorens Model; La Corte Expansion to Llorens Model; Summary of Schematic Expansion; Achieving Growth and Development: Correlation with Health Models; Integrating Theory, Practice, and Process; Practical Application of Theoretical Perspectives: Problem Identification and Solutions in Practice; Conclusion of Part 3 PART 4: THE DAEIS FOR RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE DAEIS; DAEIS Case Illustration; Conclusion of Part 4; Conclusion of Review, Update, and Expansion of Llorens

About the Author :
Dr. La Corte’s current affiliations are as follows: PhD Candidate in the College of Social, Behavioral and Health Science, Walden University; Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah; Private Practice; Adjunct Faculty, Division of Occupational Therapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. She has taught multiple courses on infant development, and has published case study and poster presentation abstracts. Further to this, she has provided occupational therapy services in the primary care setting in various NICUs, and at Aviano Air force Base, Aviano, Italy, to screen all newborn infants and provide support for infant, mother, and family co-occupations.