Supporting Play and Connection in Medically Complex Children: Development of a Caregiver Resource Guide
Rich, Aspen
Citations
Abstract
Abstract Importance: Play in early childhood offers a safe space to develop important cognitive, physical, and socioemotional skills. Allowing these skills to emerge through play directly impacts developmental milestones. Children who experience prolonged hospital stays or come home from the hospital with necessary medical equipment often experience developmental delays. As of now, there is no guide that directly assists parents in implementing affordable play and activities for their young children with medical complexities. Objective: To provide an overview of the development and feedback received necessary to create a comprehensive guide to be used among parents and caregivers. Setting and Participants: This capstone project was carried out at Joy Therapy and Learning Center (TLC), an outpatient pediatric clinic in Cumming, GA. Key informant interviews and follow-up surveys were completed virtually by parents and caregivers whose children receive therapy at Joy TLC. Outcomes and Measures: Key informant interviews were completed virtually and transcribed through Webex. Follow-up surveys were created using Qualtrics and sent out via email. Results: Follow-up surveys provided feedback on readability and usability of the guide and affordability and appropriateness of activities included in the guide. Conclusions and Relevance: A comprehensive resource-guide was developed to support child/caregiver interactions and development in medically complex children. Plain-Language Summary: This guide was created with development and parent/caregiver and child interaction as a focus. Observations, key informant interviews, discussions with experts in the field, and surveys were utilized to ensure the guide was comprehensive and appropriate to use with children who experience medical complexities. This article focuses on the development of the guide and initial parent feedback.
