INTERPLAY Research Study
The INTERPLAY research study was completed with the goal of supporting implementation of intensive hand therapy for infants and toddlers with cerebral palsy across Canada.
Hand and arm intensive therapy is important for improving upper limb outcomes for infants and toddlers with cerebral palsy. This play-based therapy is delivered by caregivers who are coached by therapists. However, access to this therapy is very limited for Canadian children with cerebral palsy younger than two years old. This project aimed to first identify reasons that support or stop the delivery of intensive therapy from the viewpoints of caregivers, therapists, and healthcare administrators. Findings then informed the identification and prioritization of strategies to support national implementation.
In 2025, the research team is focused on creating and disseminating the 11 implementation strategies that were identified in the study.
If you are interested in contributing or receiving the strategies, please email our team at INTERPLAY.study@ucalgary.ca
Our Study Design
What We Learned
We identified 11 strategies to support implementation of early hand therapy. These strategies were prioritized by participants as follows:
If you're interested in these strategies, you can find them at the link below on our Resources page. Contact us if you'd like any strategies tailored to your context.
INTERPLAY Newsletters
Learn about study updates in our newsletters.
INTERPLAY Manuscripts
Access published manuscripts: