Play techniques with neurologically impaired preschoolers.
A pilot project was undertaken to study the effect of educational play as an intervention approach. The study was conducted with 14 neurologically impaired, physically handicapped preschool children, parents, community teachers, and developmental center staff. Educational play consisted of art and drama group activities presented according to the normal sequence of play development, from sensorimotor, to symbolic, to sociodramatic play. After a 7-week course of intervention, the children's performance, as measured by items in the Vulpe Assessment Battery, improved in six areas of development. Overall improvement was statistically significant. In addition, participating adults began to value the use of play as an essential component of child development. Results suggest the need for a systematic study of play in intervention with preschool, neurologically impaired, and physically handicapped children.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003210:Concept Formation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011597:Psychomotor Performance