Play is an active process by which an individual is intrinsically motivated to explore the self, the environment, and/or interactions with another person. For infants and toddlers, engaging in play is essential to support development across multiple domains. Infants and toddlers with or at risk of motor delays may demonstrate differences in play or challenges with engaging in play activities compared to typically developing peers. Pediatric physical therapists often use play as a modality to engage children in therapeutic assessment and interventions. Careful consideration of the design and use of physical therapy that embeds play is needed. Following a 3-day consensus conference and review of the literature, we propose physical therapy that embeds play should consider three components; the child, the environment, and the family. First, engage the child by respecting the child’s behavioral state and following the child’s lead during play, respect the child’s autonomous play initiatives and engagements, use activities across developmental domains, and adapt to the individual child’s needs. Second, structure the environment including the toy selection to support using independent movements as a means to engage in play. Allow the child to initiate and sustain play activities. Third, engage families in play by respecting individual family cultures related to play, while also providing information on the value of play as a tool for learning. Partner with families to design an individualized physical therapy routine that scaffolds or advances play using newly emerging motor skills.

This study aimed to describe use of experiential learning (EL) with children in entry-level doctor of physical therapy programs. Experiential learning is a recommended educational strategy for building physical therapy knowledge and skills. Subjects: Faculty teaching pediatric content in accredited doctor of physical therapy programs was recruited; 106 responded. Students representing 20 participating programs were also invited to participate; 23 responded. Methods: Participants received an online questionnaire including closed- and open-ended questions regarding EL with children. Descriptive statistics were used to describe responses. Responses to open-ended questions were compiled and reviewed. Results: Respondents reported an average of 12.4 hours of EL with children in required courses. Satisfaction with quality was stronger than with amount of EL. Several perceived barriers and facilitators were reported. Conclusions: Use of and satisfaction with EL with children in physical therapists' education vary. Continued research on this variation and potential effects to educational outcomes is needed.

Adaptive behavior consists of conceptual, social, and practical skills and describes the ability of individuals to manage environmental demands, interact with others, and engage in activities to me...

Background/Objective: Children with disabilities experience greater participation restrictions in life activities than children without disabilities. This study aimed to explore differences in participation of children/youth with and without cerebral palsy (CP) across home, school, and community settings, and examine participation of children with CP across gross motor function levels, age groups, gender, and income levels. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study of parents of children with CP (n = 20) and without CP (n = 20) over a three-month period to investigate the frequency of participation/level of involvement across settings. Participation was assessed using the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth© (PEM-CY), a parent-report measure for children and youth, ages 5 to 17 that explores communication in home, school, and community environments. Results: Significantly greater frequency of participation at home and in the community was found in children without CP. Participation at school was not significantly different between the groups and there were no differences in level of involvement, gender, or income. In children with CP, motor function impacted participation in home and school, and age significantly influenced school participation. Conclusions: Participation in life activities is important for overall child development, health, and well-being; however, children with CP participate less than their typically developing peers. The ability to collect and analyze the frequency of participation and level of involvement across home, school, and community environments using one outcome measure provides valuable information for programming, intervention planning, and potential environment modifications that could improve participation in children with CP.