Clinical trial NCT06985017: Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity
Official title: Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Adverse Childhood Experiences
Keywords: Childhood adversity, teacher training, play, playfulness
Lead sponsor: Sacred Heart University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Yeshiva University
First posted: 2025-05-22
Enrollment: 12
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: The training program used in this study aims to equip teachers serving children exposed to adversity with the knowledge and skills pertaining to using play and playfulness as vehicles to foster children's growth. NO DRUGS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY.
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This research project was developed in an effort to support teachers of young children exposed to adversity and to assist them with enhancing children's development through play. The project utilizes an occupational therapist-led teacher training program manual and an accompanying fidelity checklist. This training is provided via virtual group sessions (Telehealth) and consists of five 45-minute-long sessions addressing ways to promote children's play and playfulness in the classroom and techniques to reduce teacher/caregiver burnout. The training was facilitated via Zoom with eleven teachers employed by an agency serving children exposed to adversity. The fidelity raters scored the fidelity checklist while reviewing video recordings of the training sessions. Participants responded to a Background Questionnaire via Qualtrics and were interviewed before and after the training. The interview data was used to analyze the impact of the training.

Detailed description: This pilot study examines the feasibility of a teacher group training program that aims to equip teachers with the skills of promoting development among young children exposed to adversity through play. The study utilizes occupational therapist-led teacher training program manual entitled Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity (PPOA) and an accompanying fidelity checklist. This training is provided via virtual group sessions (Telehealth) and consists of five 45-minute-long sessions addressing ways to promote children's play and playfulness in the classroom.

The project's goals are:

1. To determine whether the above program can:

   1. Increase teachers' perceived competencies supporting play in the classroom
   2. Change teachers' views of how they can support children's play and playfulness
2. To identify program elements that require revisions/modifications based on teachers' feedback pertaining to:

   1. Aspects of the program that they find to be helpful or less helpful
   2. Aspects of the training they deem to be feasible to implement in their classrooms in order to promote children's play and playfulness

The PPOA training was facilitated via Zoom with eleven teachers employed by an agency serving children exposed to adversity. The fidelity checklist was scored while reviewing video recordings of the training sessions. Participants responded to a Background Questionnaire via Qualtrics and were interviewed before and after the training. Interview data was used to analyze the impact of the training.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Teachers and teacher assistants employed by agencies serving young children exposed to adversity who have access to a device with reliable high-speed internet, camera, and Zoom capacity.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals who are not teachers or teacher assistants employed by agencies serving young children exposed to adversity or who do not have access to a device with reliable high-speed internet, camera, and Zoom capacity.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Parent/Caregiver's View of Supporting Children's Play and Playfulness
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks
measure: Teacher Perception of Play in the Classroom Survey
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Open-ended pre-program questions
timeFrame: At enrollment
measure: Post-Training Participant Interview
timeFrame: After 6 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Fairfield
country: United States
facility: Sacred Heart University
state: Connecticut
Study officials:
affiliation: Yeshiva University
name: Amiya Waldman-Levi, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Halperin L, Waldman-Levi A. Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity: A Telehealth-Based Group Teacher Training Program. OTJR (Thorofare N J). 2023 Jul;43(3):381-389. doi: 10.1177/15394492231151882. Epub 2023 Feb 7.