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Stability of playfulness across environmental settings: a pilot study
1Department of Occcupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada. patty.rigby@utoronto.ca
Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics
|February 15, 2007
Summary
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) show varying levels of playfulness depending on their environment. Playfulness was highest at home and lowest at school, indicating external factors influence their engagement.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Occupational Therapy
- Child Development
Background:
- Play is crucial for child development, yet children with cerebral palsy (CP) may face barriers to participation.
- Understanding the environmental influences on playfulness in children with CP is essential for promoting their engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stability and environmental influences on the playfulness of young children with CP.
- To identify settings that support or hinder playfulness in this population.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study utilized the Test of Playfulness (ToP) to assess 16 children with CP (aged 4-8 years).
- Playfulness was evaluated across three distinct settings: home, community, and school, using videotaped play segments.
- Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to determine significant differences in playfulness scores across settings.
Main Results:
- A significant variance in playfulness was observed across the three environmental settings (p < 0.05).
- Children exhibited the highest levels of playfulness at home and the lowest at school (p < 0.05).
- While 11 children demonstrated playfulness in at least one setting, 65% of play segments showed a lack of playfulness, indicating significant barriers.
Conclusions:
- Environmental factors significantly influence the playfulness of children with CP.
- Settings like school may present more barriers to playfulness compared to home environments.
- Further research is needed to identify specific factors that facilitate or impede playfulness in children with CP to enhance their participation.
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