The Occupation of Play: Parent-Child Interaction in the Service of Social Competence

The occupation of play, as mutually engaged in by parents and young children, is theorized to be central to the development of social competence. Two conceptual heuristics, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Gibson's affordances, frame this examination of play's role in the child's ability to generate adaptive responses and capitalize on environmental opportunities fostering social competence. Research describing mother-child interaction during play is used to illustrate the mother's orchestration and grading of social interactions to stretch the child's emerging abilities and optimize the child's performance. Finally, the practical application of these concepts and specific strategies which occupational therapists can use to "tune" their assistance to the needs of young children and to foster their development are described.