PRINCIPLE 1 Involve infants and toddlers in things that concern them. Don’t work around them or distract them to get the job done faster. The caregiver is trying to dress Nicky who has cerebral palsy. Since this baby is new to this caregiver, the caregiver still has to learn not only about cerebral palsy, but also about Nicky as an individual. The caregiver always tries to involve Nicky in the dressing, but it’s hard because muscle control is a challenge for him. Furthermore, the caregiver is trying to put a one-piece stretch pajama outfit on him and it’s a little tight. She starts with a foot and Nicky’s toes curl. It’s hard to fit them into the foot of the pajamas. She wants to get Nicky to relax, but doesn’t know how to help him. When she finally gets one foot in, she picks up the other leg, but the first one comes too, in a scissoring motion. And then his ankle goes into a spasm. She talks to Nicky, but is getting more and more frustrated. She finally gives up and goes and gets a loose-fitting twopiece outfit that goes on much more easily. She’s happy that she was able to adapt to this situation and vows to talk to the mother about what she can do to make dressing easier on her and Nicky.

1		What would you have done if you were the caregiver?
2		Are there some other devices that would make dressing this baby easier?
3		How could the caregiver learn about some strategies to use in dressing this baby?
4		Did Principle 1 work here or is this a case in which it didn’t work? Related Web Links