Play in orphanages.
OBJECTIVE
This paper attempts to validate the programme of structured play lasting 90 minutes a day, for use in orphanages, to check if it can be replicated in other orphanages, with similar results.


METHODS
A 2-week workshop on the structured play scheme was conducted at the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Delhi, the venue of the original project. 15 MOC sisters from 6 centers attended the workshop. The authors selected the MOC orphanage at Chandigarh to track the benefits of the programme. The development quotient of all the residents between the ages of 6 months - 3 years was assessed by a pediatric-clinical-psychologist using the Development Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DAS II) scale. A reassessment of all these children was done again 3 months after initiating the programme of structured play here.


RESULTS
The mean motor and mental scores at the orphanage in Chandigarh before the start of the intervention were 57.9 and 58.2 respectively. Post intervention assessments showed a rise of 23 points in both the scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The development of children in orphanages rises dramatically after initiating a programme of play. The pre-intervention development scores is similar to that in a pilot study and the benefits after play was also similar. The play programme can be easily replicated in other orphanages with similar results.
Taneja
Vikas
V
Department of Pediatrics, St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi, India.
Beri
R S
RS
Puliyel
J M
JM
D017028:Caregivers / Q000458:organization & administration; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004493:Education; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D019372:Orphanages; D010865:Pilot Projects; D002666:Psychology, Child / Q000193:education*