Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy
IntroductionPlay is a way for children to develop and learn about themselves in conjunction with the world. Using play as part of pediatric physical therapy is broadly recommended. This study investigates this integration of play and seeks to answer the research question: How do pediatric physical t...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1467323/full |
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| author | Ragnhild B. Håkstad Stacey C. Dusing Gay L. Girolami Gunn Kristin Øberg Hanne De Jaegher |
| author_facet | Ragnhild B. Håkstad Stacey C. Dusing Gay L. Girolami Gunn Kristin Øberg Hanne De Jaegher |
| author_sort | Ragnhild B. Håkstad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPlay is a way for children to develop and learn about themselves in conjunction with the world. Using play as part of pediatric physical therapy is broadly recommended. This study investigates this integration of play and seeks to answer the research question: How do pediatric physical therapists (PPT) understand and manage embedding play in pediatric physical therapy with children aged 0–3?MethodsThis is a qualitative study in which we connect to an enactive theoretical framework. We interviewed 14 PPTs about their use of play, including video-elicited questions while viewing recordings of their therapy sessions. Our results were developed through an abductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe PPTs acknowledge play as a foundation of children’s learning and a vital component of physical therapy. They explain that play and therapy often co-exist and intertwine, but they also experience tensions when they strive to make play therapeutic. The PPTs find it taxing to engage in play with children who present with limited interaction and play skills, and voice concern for children who struggle to engage in interactional play.DiscussionTrusting play and letting play emerge through shared sense-making can resolve challenges and enable PPTs to discover new therapeutic opportunities. A child’s striving and overcoming of resistance can be infused with playfulness and make play thrive. We invite PPTs to experiment with the emerging opportunities and boundaries between therapy and play during treatment sessions. Respect for the child’s autonomy, attention to the child’s play experience, and repairs of interactional mismatches are crucial in this process. Therapeutic guidance and mutuality in interactions can empower children to learn to play to learn new skills and experience mastery as they explore and venture beyond what they already know. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ac18c7a77ee949d0bd97ef0f0f6be601 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-ac18c7a77ee949d0bd97ef0f0f6be6012025-01-06T06:59:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-01-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.14673231467323Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapyRagnhild B. Håkstad0Stacey C. Dusing1Gay L. Girolami2Gunn Kristin Øberg3Hanne De Jaegher4Department of Health and Care Sciences, Faculty of Health, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayMotor Development Lab, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Health and Care Sciences, Faculty of Health, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayChat Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United KingdomIntroductionPlay is a way for children to develop and learn about themselves in conjunction with the world. Using play as part of pediatric physical therapy is broadly recommended. This study investigates this integration of play and seeks to answer the research question: How do pediatric physical therapists (PPT) understand and manage embedding play in pediatric physical therapy with children aged 0–3?MethodsThis is a qualitative study in which we connect to an enactive theoretical framework. We interviewed 14 PPTs about their use of play, including video-elicited questions while viewing recordings of their therapy sessions. Our results were developed through an abductive thematic analysis.ResultsThe PPTs acknowledge play as a foundation of children’s learning and a vital component of physical therapy. They explain that play and therapy often co-exist and intertwine, but they also experience tensions when they strive to make play therapeutic. The PPTs find it taxing to engage in play with children who present with limited interaction and play skills, and voice concern for children who struggle to engage in interactional play.DiscussionTrusting play and letting play emerge through shared sense-making can resolve challenges and enable PPTs to discover new therapeutic opportunities. A child’s striving and overcoming of resistance can be infused with playfulness and make play thrive. We invite PPTs to experiment with the emerging opportunities and boundaries between therapy and play during treatment sessions. Respect for the child’s autonomy, attention to the child’s play experience, and repairs of interactional mismatches are crucial in this process. Therapeutic guidance and mutuality in interactions can empower children to learn to play to learn new skills and experience mastery as they explore and venture beyond what they already know.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1467323/fullpediatric physical therapyplayenactive theoryqualitativeinterviewmotor learning |
| spellingShingle | Ragnhild B. Håkstad Stacey C. Dusing Gay L. Girolami Gunn Kristin Øberg Hanne De Jaegher Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy Frontiers in Psychology pediatric physical therapy play enactive theory qualitative interview motor learning |
| title | Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy |
| title_full | Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy |
| title_fullStr | Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy |
| title_short | Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy |
| title_sort | learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy |
| topic | pediatric physical therapy play enactive theory qualitative interview motor learning |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1467323/full |
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