NANT created International Neonatal Therapy Week (INTW) 13 years ago to honor the world’s occupational therapists (OTs), physical therapists (PTs), and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who specialize in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Each September, we take a week to celebrate the extraordinary dedication, expertise, and compassion you bring to the tiniest and most vulnerable patients and their families. Here are three reasons you and your work deserve the spotlight:
1. You never give up.
Throughout your careers, you’ve patiently explained what you do—again and again. And when you describe working with premature or medically complex infants, many people still wonder why babies who don’t yet walk, talk, or feed independently need therapy.
But you know the answer: neonatal therapists are uniquely equipped to shape quality of life at one of the most critical times in development. You help bridge the gap from the expected environment of the womb to the unexpected and unpredictable environment of the NICU.
Your specialized training supports optimal short- and long-term development, prevents or mitigates adverse outcomes, and nurtures the infant-family connection. Even in times of uncertainty and challenge, you show up for your patients and their families with unwavering tenacity.
2. Your unique lens changes lives.
A neonatal SLP assesses a breastfed infant with dysphagia and changes the trajectory of feeding success.
A neonatal OT empowers a parent with knowledge about their baby’s sensory system development, forever shaping that parent’s confidence and influence.
A neonatal PT uses finely tuned observation of early movement to guide parents’ understanding of motor development far beyond the NICU stay.
These are only glimpses of the depth and breadth of expertise you carry in your noggins. You have a unique lens within the medical team that is inextricably connected to your developmental roots and your patients’ outcomes.
The NICU is not a place for generalists—your highly specialized skills and perspectives are essential to each patient’s developmental journey.
3. Recognition gives voice to progress.
For decades, neonatal therapists have worked tirelessly to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes for NICU infants—often without acknowledgment. While you don’t do this work for recognition, being seen and valued matters. It raises awareness for the specialty, amplifies your contributions, and connects those who work in isolation with a larger professional family.
Some of our colleagues are the only neonatal therapist in their entire country. Others are part of thriving teams in large NICUs. Wherever you are, your work matters, your impact is profound, and your voice is vital.
INTW is for all of you.
Stay tuned the week of September 21st. NANT Members, you will receive a special gift and access to raffles that week, delivered right to your inbox to further support you in your work. And everyone reading this Newsletter will receive a downloadable INTW poster to hang in your NICU or office.
Thank you for all you do.
We see you. We can’t wait to celebrate each of you.