From the Hierarchy of Abilities and Skills (HAS) to an Integrated Pediatric and Educational Therapies (IPET) Framework: A Conceptual Model for Assessment and Intervention

Abstract

To understand child development, the Hierarchy of Abilities & Skills (HAS) model provides a structured framework through sequential levels of functioning that range from biological foundations to higher-order cognitive and metacognitive processes. The authors aim to extend the original HAS model into pediatric therapeutic practice by proposing the Integrated Pediatric and Educational Therapies (IPET) model: a multidisciplinary framework that integrates biomedical, sensory-motor, functional adaptive, socio-emotional regulatory, neurocognitive, and metacognitive self-regulatory domains. This newly proposed model places its emphasis on the hierarchical and interdependent nature of child development, where lower-level biological and sensory processes impact higher-level learning and behavioral outcomes. By organizing pediatric assessment and intervention across the six interconnected levels, the IPET model helps to facilitate systematic diagnosis, early intervention, and collaborative care among biomedical, psychosocial, and neuroeducational professionals. Recent research in the areas of neurodevelopment, sensory integration, and metacognitive learning supports the hierarchical organization proposed in this new model, highlighting the essence of early screening and interdisciplinary approaches in improving developmental outcomes for children with special needs. The IPET model, therefore, offers a comprehensive framework that bridges educational therapy, pediatric healthcare, and neurodevelopmental psychology to support holistic child development.