Play Flashcards
What is play?
Play is a safe, fun, spontaneous and non-obligatory activity that is controlled by the player, transcends reality, is exploratory in nature and emphasises the process rather than the outcome
What is symbolic play?
Pretend play
What is imitation?
when a child after watching others copies the actions they have observed
What is modelling?
Adult models behaviour they would like to see a child do
What is object substitution?
using something for other than its original intention
Why do OT’s use play?
as a way to improve a child’s modality
What makes an environment supportive of play?
- It is physically and emotionally safe
- allows for adaptations that keep play challenging and motivating
- Promotes individuals involvement, attentiveness and performance
Name 3 threats to play
- Parents spending more time working
- Academic pressures at school and home
- Diminished understanding of the value of play
- Urban environments with less play space
- Parental fears when child is not supervised
- Fewer natural environments for play
- Excessive safety regulations in playgrounds
- Increased involvement in electronic and virtual play spaces
- Disability
What are some factors for exclusion of play beyond an individual’s control?
- Geographical isolation
- Displacement
- Socio-economic status
- Stereotyping and stigma
- Disability
How can disability be a threat to play?
Physical impairments - decrease active play and reduce opportunities for social play
Cognitive impairments - decrease curiosity, have preferences for structured play, destructive and inappropriate use of objects
Language difficulties - unable to engage
What are the 6 types of play?
- object
- relational
- functional
- symbolic
- constructive
- games with rules
What is object play?
- starts at infancy
- uses objects to play
- all about manipulating object eg mouthing, holding, dropping, banging etc.
What is relational play?
- 9 months of age
- exploring objects and how they are related to each other eg. banging objects together, putting objects in a container, stacking blocks etc
What is functional play?
- becomes dominant at 15 months
- sometimes called pre-symbolic play
- children learn most functional play through other people in social contact
What is symbolic play?
- emerges around 2yo
- imaginative play, using a block as a phone
- pretending to be a ballerina
What is constructive play?
- 2-2.5yo until adulthood
- involves creating something
- requires a combination of fine movements, sensory capacity and cognitive and symbolic understanding
- eg. building a tower of blocks
What are games with rules?
- from 4yo to adulthood
- requires an element of sharing, taking turns, fair play and accurate recording of results
What is the role of an OT in play?
- To develop a child’s ability to play
- Teach parents how to play
- Enable participation in play
- Advocate for environments that support play
What are the advantages of the assessment of play?
- Analyse physical/cognitive, social participation, imagination, independence, coping, and environment
- provide information on occupational performance, performance skills and patterns
What are the disadvantages of the assessment of play?
- Human factors can influence play
- observed behaviours have different meaning to participant
- time available to observe child
- true observation required at multiple times and in a variety of settings
Are play assessments top down or bottom up?
All play assessments are top down
What are the 5 aspects of play to be assessed?
- approach
- skills
- environment
- activities
- motivation
What assessment tests approach?
Test of playfulness (ToP)
What assessments test skill?
- Revised knox preschool play scale
- Transdisciplinary play based assessment
- Child pretend play assessment (ChiPPA)
What assessments test environment?
Test of environmental supportiveness (TOES)
What assessments test activities?
- kid play profile
- preteen play profile
- adolescent leisure interest profile
- play history
What assessments test motivation?
None
What age group is the Test of Playfulness used for?
6 months - 18 years
Why is the ToP used?
When a child’s approach to play is a concern/problem when becoming engaged in play
How is ToP scored?
By observing 15 minutes of free play ideally with peers and in a familiar setting
What age group is the Knox Preschool play scale used for?
Birth to 72 months/6 years
How is the knox preschool play scale scored?
- 2 30min observations of a child in 2 different settings (indoor/outdoor)
What are the 4 areas the Knox preschool play scale scores?
- Space management (gross motor)
- Material management (manipulation)
- Pretense-symbolic (Imitation)
- Participation (Type, cooperation)
What assessment is designed to accompany the ToP?
The TOES
What does the TOES assess?
The effect of caregivers, objects, playmates and playspace
Why is the TOES used?
Used as a descriptive tool to help identify changes in the environment that will support play
What does a top-down approach to intervention achieve?
It creates a better fit between the child, environment and play tasks
What does a bottom-up approach to intervention achieve?
Addresses performance components that create restrictions to a child’s play
Why is play also used as a means?
It is used as a vehicle through which other goals are achieved.
What is the benefits of using play as a means?
It is a powerful therapeutic tool and has the benefits of motivation and compliance and being relevant and child friendly
How can therapists facilitate playfulness?
- using speech, body language and facial expressions
- novelty and imaginary play
- helping parents read child’s cues and adjust play to match tempo
- linking to child’s interests
- letting the child control play
- ensuring the child feels safe
What are the 6 abilities important to facilitating play?
- Apply play theories
- analyse activities
- let go and let the child lead
- empathise
- demonstrate spontaneity
- display creativity
What are the 4 stages of cognitive development that impact child’s play?
- Sensorimotor stage (birth-2)
- Preoperational stage (2-7)
- Concrete operational stage (7-11)
- Formal operational stage (12+)
What are the 4 elements of play the ToP looks at?
- Intrinsic motivation
- internal control
- Freedom to suspend reality
- Framing
What are examples of source of motivation (intrinsic motivation)?
engaged, involved in process, persists, positive affect
What are examples of perception of control (internal control)?
interacts with objects, social play, initiates, negotiates, transitions, supports, modifies, decides, shares
What are examples of the suspension of reality (freedom to suspend reality)?
pretends, clowns, jokes, unconventional, mischief and teases, transaction, rules/content of play
What are examples of framing?
engaged, gives cues, responds to cues, transaction framed as play
