AI Insight
This article presents a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating "Just Play" (JP), a creative arts therapies-based dyadic intervention designed to improve the quality of mother-child interactions in families where children aged 3 to 7 have been diagnosed with intellectual disability. The trial will enroll 60 mother-child dyads randomly assigned to either the JP intervention or a psycho-educational parent counseling control group, measuring outcomes including emotional availability, playfulness, and interpersonal synchrony at baseline and post-intervention. Qualitative interviews with a subset of participating mothers will complement the quantitative measures to capture subjective experiences and identify best practices.
Why it matters
Children with intellectual disability and their caregivers often face significant relational and emotional challenges that existing behavioral parent training programs do not directly address through positive play-based approaches. If effective, the JP intervention could offer a new, evidence-based framework for practitioners seeking to strengthen parent-child bonds in this underserved population.
by Rita Abramov, Amitai Stern, Rinat Feniger-Schaal, Cochavit Elefant, Limor Goldner, Tal-Chen Rabinowitch
Background
Play is a fundamental aspect of children’s development, fostering their cognitive, social, and emotional growth. However, children with intellectual disability (ID) experience limitations in their ability to engage in play, which can impact their relationships with caregivers. Parents of children with ID face heightened stress and reduced playfulness in their interactions with their children. Existing early interventions have primarily focused on behavioral parent training programs to manage challenging child behaviors, lacking a direct and positive approach to enhancing parent-child play interactions and relationships.
Objective
This study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate ‘Just Play’(JP), a creative arts therapies-based dyadic early intervention to enhance the quality of mother-child interactions through positive playful engagement.
Methods
A mixed-methods randomized controlled trial will be conducted with 60 mother-child dyads (children aged 3–7 with a prior ID diagnosis). Participants will be randomly assigned to either the JP dyadic intervention or to psycho-educational parent counseling control group. Quantitative data will include measures of emotional availability, mother and child playfulness, and the level of interpersonal synchrony between mothers and their children at baseline and post-intervention. Additionally, qualitative interviews with a subset of mothers in the JP group will be conducted at post-intervention and two-month follow-up to explore their experiences and identify the best practices of the intervention.
Results & Implications
This study will provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of JP dyadic intervention in strengthening positive mother-child relationships in families of children with ID. Findings will inform future early intervention strategies, contributing to evidence-based guidelines for practitioners working with children with ID while emphasizing the unique contribution of creative arts therapies to this population.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, registered August 6, 2024 (NCT06541782 || https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06541782).