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*Start and end times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, UTC+11:00

ABOUT

This workshop is suitable for those who have completed Learn to Play Therapy – Part 1: Introduction.

This workshops provides specific information on working with parents using the principles of Learn to Play Therapy. This course builds on the Learn to Play Part 1 Introduction workshop as knowledge on the development of pretend play and how to assess spontaneous pretend play ability in children is assumed knowledge for participants who wish to participate in this workshop.

This one day ONLINE workshop explains how to include parents as part of parent-child dyads in therapy with the majority of the workshop focussed on training participants to run the Parent Learn to Play small group course for parents. Parent Learn to Play can be either a 7 session or 12 session course for small groups of parents. Parent Learn to Play aims to build parent capacity to understand their child’s play and how to engage with and encourage their child to play. Parent-child interaction during play can build strong bonds between the child and parent.

The workshop uses small group activities through break out rooms on Zoom, to help participants think ‘on the spot’ about the development of play in a child, as this knowledge is important when working with children and parents/carers. Also covered is: principles in working with parents/carers; engaging parents; and tricky questions. Small group work will take participants through how to run one of the small group sessions with parents. All participants receive a copy of the Parent Learn to Play Facilitators Manual and Parent Handbook. This practical workshop would be valuable to therapists and early childhood intervention workers who work with parents and children. This workshop would be valuable for professionals, including therapists, social workers, early intervention workers, psychologists, who work with families who have children aged 12 months to 5 years who have a developmental delay.

Pre-workshop activity: To read the introduction and first session in the Parent Learn to Play: Facilitator Manual and Parent Handbook (which will be posted out to you prior to the workshop).

Workshop content (LIVE online session):

• Working with the parent in parent-child dyads
• What is Parent Learn to Play for small groups?
• Thinking on the spot about the development of play
• Principles in engaging parents
• Working with small groups of parents
• How to prepare and set up sessions for small groups for Parent Learn to Play
• Working through a session
• Tricky questions

PRESENTER’S PROFILE

Karen Stagnitti is Emeritus Professor in the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. She is retired from full time teaching and research but continues to run workshops and write. She graduated with a Bachelor degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland. For over 40 years she has mainly worked in early childhood intervention programs in community-based settings as part of a specialist paediatric multidisciplinary team. In 2003 she graduated from LaTrobe University with a Doctor of Philosophy. Her area of research is children’s play. Karen has over 125 publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and books. She has developed several play assessments including: Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment 2, the Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist and the Animated Movie Test. From this research, Learn to Play Therapy was developed. Throughout the year, she is invited to present her work on the play ability of children nationally and internationally.