EFFECTS OF A PARENT-IMPLEMENTED INTERVENTION ON PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S ENGAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY IN HOME SETTINGS

Constructive play is a creative process-oriented activity that promotes engaged learning through building and designing with materials. This study explores a parent-implemented intervention to promote active engagement in constructive play for preschool-aged children who are at risk for developmental delay and answers the research question: Do parent-implemented environmental support strategies improve the child’s active engagement in constructive play in the home? The research methodology utilized is a single-subject multiple baseline across-participants design with four participants. Visual analysis of the data supports a functional relation between the temporal, physical, and social-emotional environmental supports provided by the parents and the children’s active engagement in constructive play. Social validity was strong as parents described this intervention as meaningful to their lives. These outcomes provide evidence supporting the importance of centering and working with parents in their home environment, and evidence that empowering parents facilitates their child’s active engagement in constructive play