Clinical trial NCT06319430: Technology in Play for Children With Physical Disabilities: the Dice Model of Play
Official title: The Role of Technology in Facilitating Play for Children With Physical Disabilities: Development of the Dice Model of Play
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Disability Physical
Disabilities Mental
Keywords: play and playthings
Assistive technology
Pediatric ALL
Lead sponsor: University of Manitoba
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Canada
First posted: 2024-03-20
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Maximum age (years): 8
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: The primary purpose is validation of..........
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Play is an important activity for children. Almost all children play, but what is play? It is not easy to define play. In the past, people believed that children played to burn their energy. Now, it is known that play is important for children's growth. Some kids with disabilities cannot play. Many experts use play to teach children specific skills. People often forget that play is a child's right. It is important to help all children play. The first step is to define play and find what features are important in helping a child with a disability play.

There are some models of play. But they are not complete. They do not look at play as a whole. Some models are just about playfulness, and some are about playing with others. Having a model that defines play helps researchers and clinicians think about play and the different parts of it. Then, when a child cannot play, experts can fix the part that is not working. Investigators want to introduce a model of play in this project. Investigators want to edit and complete it in three steps. First, Investigators will ask parents and children with disabilities about things that help or do not help them play; then, investigators will give Lego robots to kids that they will build with help and play with them for a few weeks. And at the end, investigators will ask therapists and other experts about our model of play. This model will be edited during the study.

Detailed description: The study is designed in three phases, employing a mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative and quantitative methods. Phase 1 involves exploring the alignment of the Dice Model of Play with the experiences of 10 children (aged 3-8, diagnosed with different abilities) and their guardians through semi-structured interviews and content analysis; Phase 2 examines the practical application of the model with a cross-over design. Up to 20 children with different abilities will build their Lego robots within a co-design and will play with that robot for four sessions. The other group will play with conventional toys for four sessions. They will switch after finishing those sessions. Sessions will be directed by a master of occupational therapy student supervised by Dr. Jacquie Ripat, a registered occupational therapist in Manitoba. Assessments will be Test of Playfulness (TOP), enjoyment (PPE_DC), and play skills (ChIPPA-2) three times at the start, switching point, and last session. A go-along interview will be conducted in the co-design. Lastly, Phase 3 seeks expert opinions on the revised Dice Model of Play's clarity, relevance, and applicability, using online focus groups with professionals in occupational therapy, psychology, and computer science. The study aims to modify and enhance the model based on the findings from these phases.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Having a disability or typically developed
* Between 3 to 8 years old
* Speaking and understanding English or Persian
* Living in Winnipeg

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not receiving play therapy within the last three months

Primary outcomes:
measure: Test of Playfulness
timeFrame: before the session 1, after session 8, after session 16, each time 10 to 20 minutes.
measure: The Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA-2)
timeFrame: before the session 1, after session 8, after session 16, each time 18 minutes for 3 years old children and 30 minutes for 4-8 years old children.
measure: The Pretend Play Enjoyment-Developmental Checklist (PPE-DC)
timeFrame: before the session 1, after session 8, after session 16, each time almost 10 minutes for parents and 10 minutes for researcher.
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Winnipeg
country: Canada
facility: Rehabilitation Centre for Children
state: Manitoba
Study officials:
References: