By Dave DeFusco
Dr. Amiya Waldman-Levi, an expert on parent-child relationships and an associate professor in the Katz School鈥檚 Occupational Therapy Doctorate, has co-authored a professional guide to help pediatric clinicians assess how parents and other caregivers support their children鈥檚 playfulness.
Published by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) last June, the is designed to help clinicians develop family-centered interventions that promote healthy filial relationships and the skills parents and caregivers need to encourage playfulness. Through play, children develop social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills that contribute to their physical and mental health and success in school.
鈥淭his tool will help occupational therapists, psychologists, speech therapists, social workers and other pediatric clinicians make informed assessments of parent and caregiver support of children鈥檚 playfulness,鈥 said Dr. Waldman-Levi. 鈥淚t will also enable them to pinpoint the specific behaviors that either hinder or support the child鈥檚 motivation, engagement, social interaction and communication during play with others.鈥
Dr. Waldman-Levi and co-author, Dr. Anita Bundy, a professor in occupational therapy at Colorado State University and an expert in children鈥檚 risky play, will use the PC-SCP guide in two AOTA workshops on 鈥淎ssessing the Co-Occupation of Joint Play鈥 on , and . Both will focus on how clinicians can assess the shared involvement and engagement of parents and children in joint play.
Dr. Bundy published the first assessment of children鈥檚 playfulness in early 2000, which was the inspiration for their new manual. She has been in the forefront of creating accessible playgrounds in Europe and in Australia through the
Dr. Bundy said children鈥檚 play is indispensable for teaching the art of negotiation without an adult present, testing boundaries and developing an awareness of one鈥檚 own capabilities. She said that restrictions placed by parents on their children鈥檚 play, whether out of fear of their child getting hurt or a bias toward academic instruction over physical activity, are depriving American children of invaluable life skills.
鈥淣egotiation between children isn鈥檛 always pretty but if you don鈥檛 have that opportunity or if an adult always does it for you, when do you learn how to barter for what you want and need?,鈥 she said. 鈥淜nowing how to negotiate gives children agency鈥攖he sense that they can ask for what they need or want. It doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e going to get it, but at least they can feel comfortable asking.鈥
Dr. Bundy said that because young children鈥檚 central occupation is play, occupational therapists are obligated to adopt a family perspective to provide up-to-date best practices in relation to co-occupations鈥攁 point that will be emphasized during the workshops.
鈥淭herapists who employ such a perspective when conducting interventions with young children should explore the family鈥檚 values, goals and aspirations, as well as relevant environments,鈥 she said. 鈥淲ithout fully exploring these avenues, therapists may create an intervention plan in a vacuum.鈥
