SIT-PIT Study for
Infants with Delayed Motor Skills
Researchers are looking for babies with motor delays and their families to participate in a research project comparing different therapeutic programs.
Fast Facts
8-24 Months Old
Significant Motor Delays
Compensation Provided
Conducted in Los Angeles, CA
Study Background
SIT-PT is a research project aimed at promoting children’s early development and readiness to learn.
Our research team is trying to compare different forms of physical therapy for children who have motor delays. To evaluate these interventions, the participants are randomly assigned (like flipping a coin), so half the children participate in either intervention. Both interventions are designed to help improve the child’s motor skills, but one (MORE-PT) focuses on motor skills while the other (START-Play) focuses on both thinking and motor skills.
If your child is 8-24 months old and learning to sit, but cannot get in and out of sitting independently yet, you may qualify to participate. Families can travel to be in the study if they can stay in the local area of a site for the duration of the intervention (12 weeks) and return every 3 months for assessment.
Eventually, the findings of this study might be useful for helping treat children with motor delays or high risk for cerebral palsy.
Study Background
SIT-PT is a five-year research project aimed to promote children’s early development and readiness to learn.
Our research team is trying to compare different forms of physical therapy for children who have motor delays. To evaluate these interventions, the participants are randomly assigned (like flipping a coin), so half the children participate in either intervention. Both interventions are designed to help improve the child’s motor skills, but one (MORE-PT) focuses on motor skills while the other (START-Play) focuses on both thinking and motor skills.
If your child is 8-24 months old and learning to sit, but cannot get in and out of sitting independently yet, you may qualify to participate. Families can travel to be in the study if they can stay in the local area of a site for the duration of the intervention (12 weeks) and return every 3 months for assessment.
Eventually, the findings of this study might be useful for helping treat children with motor delays or high risk for cerebral palsy.
Additional Information
The goals of our research project are to understand:
- How do babies with motor delays learn to sit, reach for toys, play with toys, and develop thinking skills?
- How does the START-Play intervention compare to the MORE-PT intervention in influencing motor and thinking skills in babies with motor delays?
Your child may be eligible to participate if he/she meets these criteria:
- Your child is between 8-24 months of age (adjusted for prematurity, if applicable)
- Your child has a motor delay or has a medical history that indicates a high risk of cerebral palsy
- Your child can NOT get in and out of sitting by himself/herself
Intervention: Both the START-Play program and the MORE-PT program include 2 physical therapy sessions per week, provided in your home or our clinic based on your choice. The intervention lasts for 3 months (24 therapy visits) and all study visits are provided to you free of charge. You can continue with all of your current services as well.
Assessment: In addition to the intervention, all infants complete 5 play-based assessment sessions over one year. All of the study assessments can be conducted in your home or, if you prefer, in our clinic by a trained assessor.
Families can travel to be in the study if they can stay in the local area of a site for the duration of the intervention (12 weeks) and return every 3 months for assessment.
As a participant, you can receive up to $100 and 24 free physical therapy sessions
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.
