This article presents a transdisciplinary, theoretically informed play development psychoeducation resource, designed to guide therapeutic play to enhance Early Relational Health (ERH) for infants and children impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). As therapeutic play becomes more collaborative across disciplines, a structured approach to nurturing infants and children’s evolving developmental pathways needs to be scaled and made universally accessible. The “Systemic Play Development in Context” psychoeducational resource presented in this article can assist in the alignment and sequencing of key biopsychosocial and play development stages. It may also guide developmentally, culturally, and trauma-responsive therapeutic play experiences, further strengthening relational development. We believe this psychoeducation resource will provide a framework for those working therapeutically to foster safe, stable, and nurturing emotional connections between infants, young children, and their caregivers – promoting ERH. Our proposed psychoeducation resource has the potential to assist in mitigating the impacts of ACEs, fostering healthy development.
Ward et al. (Fri,) studied this question.