Weeek 3- Environmental Factors for Pediatric and Adolescent Populations

What is a child’s occupation?

Play

What is the importance of play as an occupation?

It’s the primary occupation of children

It is used to interest the child in therapeutic activities

Children develop skills for adult life

Play is viewed as a freely chosen occupation for children and children should be engaged in the process of playing

Contributes to social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development

Play should be…

Pleasurable, self-motivating, engaging

How does play facilitates problem-solving?

Creativity, flexibility, achievement, motivation, morality, and social attitudes

When is play most common?

During the preschool years

Aspects of the environment can either ____________ or _________ functioning and participation in daily activities

Facilitate, hinder

What does research showing regarding a child’s environment?

When a child’s early years are not emotionally and physically supportive and spent in less stimulating environments, then the brain can develop in adverse ways

A non-beneficial environment leads to…

Cognitive, social, and behavioral delays

Children who have ____________, __________, and/or _________________ tend to be more vulnerable to environmental barriers during play

Developmental, physical, learning disabilities

Environments can either _________ or _________ influence children’s mental health and development of social relationships

Positively, negatively

If a child’s environment hinders their ability to play, what is negatively impacted?

Their health

When in a supportive and stimulating environments that offer opportunities to explore and problem-solve, what can be fostered?

Resourcefulness

What are important things to consider when looking at and potentially modifying a child’s environment?

Have a family-centered approach (involving the parents)

Potentially do a PEO analysis

When does an environment enable play?

When the child feels safe and secure in the environment

The child has trust and confidence with social world through experiences of secure attachment

Caregivers provide environmental context for play

Children with disabilities generally assume _______ roles during play

Passive

Who must assist to enable a child to gradually become more active in play?

The caregiver

It’s important to use _______________ assessments of play to learn about a child’s skills and abilities

Developmental

Different types of play are associated with…

Different developmental stages

What is the social environment of play?

The playmates and caregivers

What are things to identify regarding a child’s environment?

Social

Cultural

Resources available

What is social interaction important in play?

It helps children learn turn-taking and structured play, helps children be more motivated to participate in an activity if others are participating

Children need to know __________ boundaries of play

Physical

When fostering play, it is important that there is…

A variety of opportunities and options need to be available, especially for children with disabilities

Play materials should be ________ to children

Accessible

Environments can be _______ or ________ to meet sensory needs as well

Adapted, modified

What does OT in school-based practice look like?

Observations in the classroom and across series of transitions upon assessment

Develop goals and intervention plan around team goals that correspond to the student performance in school

Team is composed of educators, therapist, caregivers, and anyone in direct care of that student