Category: Families
Supporting play for neurodivergent children
5 December 2023
In this PEDAL Conference 2023 recording, we hear from Kerry Murphy (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Dr Gina Gomez de la Cuesta and Abi Dodson (Play Included) share their expertise on play and its significance in diverse child development.
The therapeutic powers of play: play therapy as a mental health treatment
5 December 2023
In this PEDAL Conference 2023 recording, Siobhán Prendiville (Children's Therapy Centre in Ireland) talks about the therapeutic powers of play and highlights how well Play Therapy sits within a neurosequential approach to psychotherapy.
Public health campaigns: supporting infant mental health through encouraging playful interactions
5 December 2023
In this PEDAL Conference 2023 recording, Margaret Gallagher (NSPCC) and Alex Spragg (Better Start Bradford) talk about how two public health campaigns supported infant mental health through encouraging playful interactions.
A vision for happy, healthy childhoods in the UK
5 December 2023
In this PEDAL Conference 2023 keynote lecture, Helen Hayes (Shadow Children's Minister and Labour MP forDulwich & West Norwood) shares Labour's vision for childhood.
A future for the world’s children? Play as the basis of a new paradigm for a world on fire
5 December 2023
In this PEDAL Conference 2023 keynote lecture, Professor Mark Tomlinson (Stellenbosch University) discusses the important role of play in building minds and brains in the future that are built for creativity, adaptation, collaboration, connectedness and resilience.
Play in the face of adversity
1 November 2023
Read our paper for the Scottish Children's Commissioner about the value of play for children in the asylum seeking system.
All Work and No Play? Busting the Binary in Majority World Settings
21 June 2023
In this Play Piece, Stephen discusses whether work and play are different, and the value of play as distinct from work.
Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2023: Understanding Infant Mental Health
13 June 2023
In this short animation for Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, PEDAL’s Senior Policy Fellow Sally Hogg explains what we mean by ‘mental health’ in infancy and early childhood. You can also find more information and useful resources for supporting children’s mental health in the early years by clicking here.
Exploring play in hospitals in Spain, Australia and England
9 May 2023
In this article, Paulina reflects on her travels and what she has learned about Health Play Specialists and their importance to children in hospital.
INSAR 2023: Professionals’ perspectives on strengths-based autism diagnostic assessment
6 May 2023
Neurodiversity-informed approaches enable us to move away from simply understanding autism in terms of difficulties. In this video, PEDAL PhD student Emma Pritchard-Rowe presents a summary of her research on professionals’ perspectives of holistic, strengths-based approaches to diagnostic assessment – which can have a positive impact on autistic people’s wellbeing and enhance the support available […]