Conference Agenda
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Daily Overview |
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Symposium 2.G - Interactions between caregivers and children with neuro-developmental disabilities
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2:30pm - 3:30pm
Interactions between caregivers and children with neuro-developmental disabilities Parent-child interactions are foundational to children's development, yet families of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities face unique challenges in establishing and maintaining emotional connection and attunement. This symposium presents three studies that examine parent-child interactions across the spectrum of neurodevelopmental disabilities—autism, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and severe/profound intellectual disability—offering converging insights on how play and attunement serve as common mechanisms for enhancing relationship quality. The first presentation examines play interactions of autistic preschoolers with their mothers and fathers, comparing play with versus without toys. Results reveal that play without toys elicits significantly higher emotional availability for both parents, challenging conventional assessment practices and suggesting that interaction context profoundly influences the quality of parent-child connection. The second presentation introduces the Scale for Emotional Functioning and Attunement (SEFA), a newly developed instrument for assessing emotional needs and attunement in persons with severe or profound intellectual disabilities. The SEFA defines five levels of emotional functioning and provides caregivers with practical suggestions for matching their responses to individuals' emotional needs at each level. The third presentation describes the 'Just Play' intervention protocol, a dyadic approach targeting playfulness to enhance mother-child interactions in families of children with intellectual disability. The intervention scaffolds mothers and children in discovering mutual forms of enjoyable play by balancing repetition with novelty, navigating tension and relaxation, facilitating leadership shifts, and fostering a playful stance emphasizing joy and mutual delight. Together, these studies illuminate both unique challenges and shared pathways for supporting parent-child relationships across neurodevelopmental disabilities. The symposium discussion will explore how play and attunement operate as common factors across diverse disability profiles, and how research findings can be translated into practical strategies for clinicians working with these families. Presentations of the Symposium Play interactions of autistic preschoolers with their mothers and fathers without toys yield more positive interactions than play with toys Observations of parent-child play with toys are often used to assess interactions between parents and non-autistic as well as autistic children, but some research indicates that play without toys may elicit more positive interactions than play with toys. The first goal of the study was to examine whether this is true in the case of autistic preschoolers by comparing their play with their parents with vs. without toys. The second goal was to compare mother- and father-child interactions. Seventy-eight autistic preschooler boys were observed interacting with each of their parents separately playing with or without toys, and interactions were coded using the Emotional Availability (EA) scales. The order of parents (mother or father) and play type (with or without toys) was counterbalanced. Children's interactions with their mothers and fathers were coded by a different coder. Results revealed that for both mothers and fathers scores on all of the EA scales in the play episode without toys were higher than scores in the episode with toys. Also, almost no differences were found between children’s interactions with their mothers and fathers in both play with or without toys. Both findings broaden our understanding of the early social experiences of autistic children with their parents. Attuning to the emotional needs of persons with severe or profound intellectual disability Background: In clinical practice, understanding and attuning to the emotional needs of persons with severe or profound intellectual disabilities (SPID) can be challenging for caregivers. Additionally, persons with SPID have difficulties in perceiving the intentions, reactions and emotions of their caregivers. This misattunement can have a negative effect on their attachment relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a scale to assess emotional needs and contributions to attunement in the context of SPID. Methods: An international multidisciplinary group of five experts in the field of emotional development constructed the initial Scale for Emotional Functioning and Attunement (SEFA) using existing instruments such as the SED-S, Functional Emotional Assessment Scale, and Assessment of the Quality of Relationship. Daniel Stern’s concept of development of the self, and insights from practice, were also used as resources. Two focus groups with 48 developmental psychologists provided feedback on the draft SEFA. The scale was also translated into Dutch and edits were made by two experts. The usability, reliability and validity of the SEFA was also tested amongst 11 master’s students. Results: The SEFA consists of two parts: (1) observation of stress and (2) a scale for emotional functioning and attunement. It defines five levels of emotional functioning defined in SEFA, are: (1) isolation, (2) sensory integration, (3) exploration, (4) joint attention, and (5) dialogue. Each of these is accompanied by suggestions for attunement that match the emotional needs at that level. First results on validity, reliability and usability will also be presented. Conclusions: The SEFA is a new practical instrument for assessing the emotional functioning of persons with SPID which also offers suggestions to caregivers for enhancing attunement. The usability, reliability and validity of the SEFA will be presented. ‘Just Play': A Dyadic Intervention Protocol Targeting Playfulness to Enhance Positive Mother-Child Interactions in Families of Children with Intellectual Disability Background: Play is fundamental to children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. However, children with intellectual disability (ID) experience significant delays in play skills, with patterns tending toward simple, repetitive, and solitary forms. 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 to manage challenging child behaviors, lacking a direct approach to enhancing positive parent-child play interactions and relationships. This presentation introduces the protocol for 'Just Play' (JP), a creative arts therapies (CAT)-based dyadic intervention designed to strengthen mother-child relationships through playful engagement. Theoretical Framework: JP emphasizes the inherent value of dyadic play itself, recognizing playful interaction as a primary mechanism for enhancing relationship quality. The intervention targets two key mediating constructs—maternal playfulness and child playfulness—hypothesized to improve emotional availability and interpersonal synchrony between mothers and children with ID. Study Protocol: This randomized controlled trial includes 60 mother-child dyads (children aged 3-7 with ID) assigned to either JP intervention or psycho-educational parent counseling. JP consists of eight weekly 45-minute home-based sessions employing music, drama, movement, and pretend play. The intervention protocol guides therapists to scaffold both mother and child in discovering mutual forms of enjoyable play by: (1) balancing repetition with novelty to maintain engagement while introducing creative expansion, (2) navigating between tension and relaxation to sustain playful energy, (3) facilitating shifts in leadership between mother and child, and (4) fostering a playful stance that emphasizes finding joy and mutual delight in shared experiences. Significance: This study addresses a critical gap in early intervention for families of children with ID by centering dyadic playfulness as both the therapeutic focus and mechanism of relational change, offering an attachment-informed approach that emphasizes positive engagement and mutual joy in the parent-child relationship. Enhancing Parent-Child Interactions in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: The Role of Play, Playfulness, and Attunement Rationale: This discussion brings together three complementary studies examining parent-child interactions across the spectrum of neurodevelopmental disabilities—from autism to intellectual disability, including severe and profound forms. All three presentations converge on the centrality of emotional connection between parents and children facing developmental challenges, offering both theoretical insights and practical tools for supporting these vulnerable dyads. Key Discussion Points:
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