Parents can help child development with therapeutic playgroups
By RICK WEBER
One in six children in the United States between the ages of 3 and 17 has a developmental disability—and those from low-income households are even more susceptible (one in five).
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that approximately one in 31 (or 3.2%) 8-year-old children in the U.S. are identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—an increase from the 2020 estimate of 1 in 36 children.
But there is demonstrable hope.
“Early intervention provides critical support that can significantly enhance a child’s development, improve educational outcomes and foster healthier family dynamics,” says Sarah E. Fabrizi, PhD, OTR/L, a professor and program director of Occupational Therapy at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Marieb College of Health & Human Services.
Fabrizi has a passion for changing those raw statistics through her research, teaching and service focus on playfulness, social participation and early-childhood play development, emphasizing play as a vital childhood occupation. She collaborates with early-childhood providers and families to foster joyful play opportunities at home and in the community.
With her team of early childhood champions, she has developed and implemented therapeutic playgroups to promote playful interactions, support children’s social skills and emotional growth, and guide monitoring of developmental milestones during play—drawing from numerous articles and chapters she has authored on therapeutic playgroups, social play, friendship and playfulness.
“Parents want to know how they can best support their child, and value practical tips and strategies they can use in their everyday routines at home and in the community,” Fabrizi says. “Setting up a playful environment, using simple objects, can be effective in increasing play opportunities and independent play. The social and community connections families make through therapeutic playgroups have a spinoff effect, creating additional opportunities for playdates and sharing of resources and parenting strategies.”
Therapeutic Playgroups, her collaborative work with Early Steps of Southwest Florida, provides social play opportunities for families who have infants and toddlers, aged birth to 36 months, who have or are at-risk for developmental disabilities or delays.
Her therapeutic playgroup program highlights specific developmental topics providing targeted developmental information to families and utilizes high-quality play activities that can be easily replicated at home: shared reading, sensory play, constructive play, pretend play, and songs and music.
Her work with Therapeutic Playgroups began by developing a play program that could be facilitated by early-childhood providers in the community to support child playfulness and parent engagement. She also has spent the past 10 years mentoring graduate students to learn to provide these group interventions and monitor outcomes in families.
Her work, as highlighted in “State of the Science” in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT), underscores the critical role of play as a fundamental occupation in child development and advocates for a deeper understanding of its application in occupational therapy. Through her study, “Setting the Stage for Play Using the SEE Me Therapeutic Playgroup Teaming Approach,” she has examined how interaction strategies during caregiver–child play in therapeutic playgroups foster social-emotional growth in early intervention.
Her research on therapeutic playgroups shows notable improvements in children’s playfulness, demonstrating their importance in promoting play opportunities in the communities where families live. Moreover, her Splashing Our Way to Playfulness project illustrates how playfulness in autistic children can be boosted by aquatic playgroups, which show promise as an opportunity to promote swim safety, share resources for swim lessons and explore water activities for play and leisure.
“Play is serious work!” Fabrizi says. “Play is critically important in promoting health in early childhood, and so is providing play opportunities for children and families in the community. There’s huge value in supporting parents and teachers by providing education about what to watch for in play and how to join in for joyful engagement. The amount of time children spend in play is declining, yet time spent in play supports development across all domains.”
How can infants and toddlers be identified as having or being at-risk for developmental disabilities or delays? This is where the “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program enters the picture.
Fabrizi, the Florida Ambassador for the program that is funded by the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), encourages parents and other care providers to learn the signs of healthy development, track their young child’s developmental milestones and act early if there is ever a developmental concern. From birth to 5 years, every child should reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move.
“It is a worthwhile investment to take the time to play with your child, to notice what they enjoy, to set up opportunities for free play at home and in the community,” Fabrizi says. “Parents, you know your child best. If you are concerned about your child’s development, talk to your child’s doctor. Don’t wait. Acting early can make a real difference!”
FGCU
Marieb College of Health & Human Services
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965
(239) 590-1000 | fgcu.edu