Determining progress in play for children with delays and disabilities
Play is an important and natural activity that young children use to learn about their worlds. Children with delays and disabilities often have delays in play and have difficulty learning to play. The Developmental Play Assessment-Professional (DPA-P) was created to measure how young children are developing in their play activities to help teachers and service providers to identify activities that will help children learn to play more and at more advanced levels.
The DPA-P was initially developed as a research tool and was found promising for use in identifying and working with children who have delays in play. The current project is focused on revising the instrument into a user-friendly version for determining a child’s progress in play. For this purpose, we are collecting play observations from children from 8 months to 60 months of age – children who are developing with delays and children who are developing typically – and comparing the videotaped research version with the user-friendly version that is administered in real time as children play.
In February 2016, Project Play will present a paper as part of a symposium at the Conference for Research Innovations in Early Intervention:
Lifter, K. & Mason, E.J. (2016, February). Paper to be presented to the Conference for Research Innovations in Early Intervention (CRIEI), San Diego, CA, in a symposium with Erin Barton (Vanderbilt University) and Connie Wong (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) entitled “Measuring and Teaching Play: Current Issues in Research and Practice.”
In October 2015, Project Play presented a paper at the Division for Early Childhood:
Lifter, K., Cameron, A.D., & Harris, K.C. (2015, October). Children’s play development: New descriptions for young children with and without delays. Presented at the 31st Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and their Families (Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children. Atlanta, GA.
In April 2015, Project Play presented a poster at the Research, Innovation, and Scholarship Expo at Northeastern University:
Harris, K.C., Vertucci, K., Cannarella, A.M., & Lifter, K. (2015, April). Children’s play development: New observations and descriptions, with translation to assessment. Poster presented at the Research, Innovation, and Scholarship Expo (RISE). Northeastern University, Boston, MA.
In March 2015, Project Play presented a poster at the Society for Research in Child Development:
Lifter, K., Cannarella, A.M., Mason, E.J., Harris, K.C., Vertucci, K., & Minami, T. (2015, March). Children’s play development: New observations and descriptions, with translation to assessment. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Philadelphia, PA.
In March 2015, Project Play presented a paper and a poster at the International Convention of Psychological Science:
Lifter, K., & Mason, E.J. (2015, March). An approach to natural assessment: Project Play. Paper presented as part of a symposium: An approach to natural assessment (Mason, E.J., Mohiyeddini, C., & Lifter, K.). The International Convention of Psychological Science (ICSP). Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Mason, E.J., Lifter, K., Cannarella, A.M., & Minami, T. (2015, March). Analysis of play development: Viewing what the child knows through play. Poster presented at the International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS). Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In October 2014, Project Play presented a paper at the Division for Early Childhood:
Cannarella, A.M., & Lifter, K. (2014, October). Evaluating play with a new user-friendly method. Presented at the Division for Early Childhood (DEC). St. Louis, MO.
In June 2014, Project Play presented a poster at the World Association for Infant Mental Health:
Lifter, K., Mason, E.J., Cannarella, A.M., & Minami, T. (2014, June). Assessment of young children’s play using the Developmental Play Assessment (DPA). Poster presented at the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) Congress. Edinburgh, UK.
In April 2014, Project Play presented a poster at the American Educational Research Association:
Mason, E.J., & Lifter, K. (2014, April). Assessment in context: Natural assessment of young children’s play. Poster presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. Philadelphia, PA.
In February 2014, Project Play presented a paper and a poster at the Conference for Research Innovations in Early Intervention:
Lifter, K., Mason, E.J., Cannarella, A.M., & Minami, T. (2014, February). Project Play: Descriptive study. Paper presented to the Conference for Research Innovations in Early Intervention (CRIEI), San Diego, CA, in a symposium with Erin Barton entitled Description and Intervention in Children’s Play.
Vertucci, K., & Lifter, K. (2014, February). Play interventions: Target selection and developmental considerations. Poster presented at the Conference for Research Innovations in Early Intervention (CRIEI), San Diego, CA.
In February 2014, Project Play presented a paper at the Annual Convention of the National Association of School Psychologists:
Klug, S., Concannon, K., Krupp, S., & Lifter, K. (2014, February). Effect of maternal responsive and directive behavior on children’s performance on the Battelle Developmental Inventory – Section Edition Screening Test (BDI-2 ST). Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), Philadelphia, PA.
In October 2013, Project Play presented a poster at the International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and their Families:
Vertucci, K., Concannon, K., Klug, S., Krebs, G., Cameron, A., & Lifter, K. (2013, October). Linking assessment to intervention in play: Strengths and concerns with current practices. Poster presented to the 29th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and their Families. San Francisco, CA.
In August 2012, Project Play presented a symposium at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention:
Mason, E. J., Briesch, J., Klug, S., Hemphill, E. M., Vertucci, K., & Lifter, K. (2012, August). Developmental assessment through natural play: Research on the Developmental Play Assessment. Symposium to be presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Orlando, FL.
In May 2012, Project Play presented posters at the Student Affiliates in School Psychology Spring Conference:
Briesch, J., Arzamarski, C., Hemphill, E. M., Klug, S., Vertucci, K., Mason, E. J., & Lifter, K. (2012, May). Review of play assessments: Are they linked to intervention? Poster to be presented at the Northeastern University Student Affiliates in School Psychology Spring Conference, Boston, MA.
Fitzpatrick, B., Hemphill, E. M., Mason, E. J., Lifter, K. (2012, May). Correspondences between play and language development in toddlers. Poster to be presented at the Northeastern University Student Affiliates in School Psychology Spring Conference, Boston, MA.
Hemphill, E. M., Briesch, J., & Lifter, K. (2012, May). Informing toy selection for assessment and intervention in children’s play. Poster to be presented at the Northeastern University Student Affiliates in School Psychology Spring Conference, Boston, MA.
In April 2012, Project Play presented posters at the Northeastern University Research Expo:
Fitzpatrick, B., Hemphill, E. M., Mason, E. J., Lifter, K. (2012, April). Correspondences between play and language development in toddlers. Poster to be presented at the Northeastern University Research Expo, Boston, MA.
Hemphill, E. M., Briesch, J., & Lifter, K. (2012, April). Informing toy selection for assessment and intervention in children’s play. Poster to be presented at the Northeastern University Research Expo, Boston, MA.
In February 2012, Project Play presented a poster and a paper at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention:
Briesch, J., Arzamarski, C., Hemphill, E. M., Klug, S., Vertucci, K., Mason, E. J., & Lifter, K. (2012, February). Review of play assessments: Are they linked to intervention? Poster t presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Hemphill, E. M., Briesch, J., Klug, S., Vertucci, K., Mason, E. J., Minami, T., & Lifter, K. (2012, February). Selection of toys in play assessments with young children. Paper presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
In December 2011, Project Play presented a Department Colloquium to the Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology::
Lifter, K., Mason, E., Briesch, J., Hemphill, E., Klug, S., Vertucci, K. (2011, December). Project Play: Assessment and intervention in children’s play to support learning. Colloquium presented as part of the Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology Department Colloquium Series, Boston, MA.
In November 2011, Project Play presented student posters at the Division of Early Childhood Annual International Convention:
Briesch, J., Hemphill, E. M., Klug, S., Vertucci, K., Mason, E. J., & Lifter, K. (2011, November). Review of play assessment instruments: Are they linked to intervention? Poster presented at the Division for Early Childhood Annual International Convention, National Harbor, MD.
Hemphill, E. M., Briesch, J., & Lifter, K. (2011, November). Informing toy selection for assessment and intervention in children’s play. Poster presented at the Division for Early Childhood Annual International Convention, National Harbor, MD.
In May 2011, Project Play presented a workshop at the Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium Annual Conference:
Lifter, K., Briesch, J., Hemphill, E., & Mason, E. (2011, May). Utilizing toys to support natural learning opportunities in play. Workshop session presented at the Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium Annual Conference, Marlboro, MA.
In May 2011, Project Play presented posters at the Association for Psychological Sciences Annual Convention and the Student Affiliates in School Psychology Spring Conference:
Mason, E. J., Lifter, K., Liu, Y., Briesch, J., & Hemphill, E. (2011, May). Criteria for selection of toys in play assessments with young children. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.
Mason, E. J., Lifter, K., Liu, Y., Briesch, J., & Hemphill, E. (2011, May). Criteria for selection of toys in play assessments with young children. Poster presented at the Northeastern University Student Affiliates in School Psychology Spring Conference, Boston, MA.
Project Play is based on numerous research studies about play development and intervention, and also has led to many new publications. To learn more about Project Play, please see the following publications:
- Lifter, K., Mason, E. J., & Barton, E. E. (2011). Children’s play: where we have been and where we could go. Journal Of Early Intervention, 33(4), 281-297.
- Lifter, K. (2008). Developmental play assessment and teaching. In J. Luiselli, D.C. Russo, and W.P. Christian (Eds.), Effective practices for children with autism: Educational and behavior support interventions that work (pp. 299-324). New York: Oxford University Press.
- Lifter, K., Ellis, J.T., Cannon, B.O., and Anderson, S.R. (2005). Developmental specificity in targeting and teaching play activities to children with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Early Intervention, 27(4), 247-267.
- Pierce-Jordan, S. & Lifter, K. (2005). The interaction of social and play behaviors in preschoolers with and without pervasive developmental disorders. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 25(1), 34-47.
- Lifter, K., Campbell, S., Cannon, B.O., DiPietro, E. Pedi, R.A., Ellis, J.T., Luiselli, J.K., & Pierce-Jordan, S. (2002). Case study of research to practice. NHSA Dialog, 5, 256-282.
- Lifter, K. (2000). Linking assessment to intervention for children with developmental disabilities or at-risk for developmental delay: The Developmental Play Assessment (DPA) Instrument. In K. Gitlin-Weiner, A. Sandgrund, & C.E. Schaefer (Eds.), Play diagnosis and assessment (second edition) (pp. 228-261). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
- Lifter, K. & Bloom, L. (1998). Intentionality and the role of play in the transition to language. In A.M. Wetherby, S.F. Warren, & J. Reichle (Eds.), Transitions in prelinguistic communication: Preintentional to intentional and presymbolic to symbolic (161-198). A book in the Communication and Language Intervention Series: Brookes Publishing Company.
- Lifter, K. (1996). Assessing play skills. In M. McLean, D. B. Bailey, Jr., & M. Wolery (Eds.), Assessing infants and preschoolers with special needs (second edition), (pp.435-461). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.
- Lifter, K., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Anderson, S. & Cowdery, G. (1993). Teaching play activities to preschool children with disabilities: The importance of developmental considerations. Journal of Early Intervention, 17(2), 139-159.
- Lifter, K. and Bloom, L. (1989). Object play and the emergence of language. Infant Behavior and Development, 12(4), 395-423.