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The widespread integration of technology into children’s lives poses significant challenges for parents aiming to promote healthy technology use. This systematic review synthesized findings from twelve studies to explore effective parenting strategies and interventions. Results indicate that authoritative parenting, characterized by high responsiveness and control, and active mediation, involving open communication and collaborative rule-setting, are most effective in managing children’s technology use. Parental digital literacy emerged as a crucial factor in successfully implementing these strategies. Interventions like the “Game Over” and “Movie Models” programs showed potential but require further refinement. The review underscores the importance of co-using technology with children, modeling healthy technology habits, and employing available tools for monitoring and limiting screen time. Future research should focus on developing standardized diagnostic criteria for problematic technology use, empirically tracking screen time, and exploring the role of schools in promoting healthy technology use. Consistent definitions and comprehensive strategies are essential for addressing the evolving digital landscape. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The practice of racial stacking continues to play a significant role in the National Football League (NFL or the League). This paper explores the effects of racial stacking on NFL hiring practices by enumerating examples of the selection of football players and how it fosters a disadvantageous environment for Blacks who desire to become head coaches and leaders of sport franchises. With data analysis that showcases hiring practices that affect Black and Brown head coaches and front-office personnel, the paper traces the hiring of Black presidents, general managers, and head coaches while critically assessing indicators of color blindness within the pipeline to NFL leadership positions. We contend that channeling athletes to specific playing positions on a team adversely affects their chances of advancing to leadership roles as coaches and team executives.

The occupational therapy profession faces critical workforce shortages, and the demand for services to meet the needs of diverse communities continues to rise. Underdocumented individuals represent a diverse pool of potential practitioners who face barriers to licensure if they pursue a career in occupational therapy. Despite being eligible for occupational therapy education and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam, inconsistent state licensure requirements, which often mandate a Social Security number (SSN), pose a significant barrier to licensure and employment. We examine the challenges underdocumented individuals encounter in pursuing occupational therapy education and careers and argue for removing such barriers to enable them to become licensed practitioners. Addressing these barriers could diversify the workforce, enhance access to culturally responsive care, and alleviate shortages in underserved areas. We propose six actionable steps for the profession: (1) investigating and clarifying state licensure requirements; (2) ensuring accurate information dissemination to the public and students; (3) advocating for inclusive licensure policies, such as accepting Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers instead of SSNs; (4) addressing inconsistencies in reciprocity agreements across states; (5) funding research to better understand workforce demographics and needs; and (6) advocating for increased tuition equity and scholarship opportunities. By fostering an inclusive pathway to licensure and embracing diversity in cultural backgrounds, languages, and life experiences, the occupational therapy profession can become a meaningful career option for underdocumented individuals who can contribute to the development of a more resilient and representative workforce to effectively serve diverse populations and address health disparities.

The articles for the Special Section on Play highlight the complexity of play and the many ways occupational therapy practitioners study and promote play with children, families, and adults across individual, school, family, political, and cross-cultural settings. The authors of the articles in this issue view the importance of play across the lifespan and through multiple research lenses, including play preference, environmental supports for and barriers to play, the skills required to succeed in play, and the extent to which play is self-determined. The guest editors offer suggestions for how to enhance occupational therapy’s voice in the study and promotion of play as a primary lifelong occupation.

Occupational therapists view play through a unique lens. Considering play as a human occupation, and one to which all people have a right, places occupational therapists among a special group of professionals championing play. This State of the Science article seeks to increase awareness regarding the occupational therapy profession’s contributions and to situate those contributions within the larger body of literature on play while also promoting further study of play as an occupation.

Core concepts in occupational therapy have often developed over time with contributions from multiple clinicians and scholars. This makes it difficult to determine exactly from where, or from whom, ideas originated. Without original sources, we cannot chart the historical development of ideas and honor those whose scholarship made it possible. This article documents the process undertaken to properly cite one such common concept in occupational therapy, the just-right challenge; illustrates the value of doing so; and advocates for the importance of thorough historical scholarship.

The purpose of this paper is to explain and explore the concept of tolerance as developed in post-Reformation Europe. The religious turmoil of this period tested the social order of the day and will be used to exemplify the difficulties of embracing tolerance while clinging to dogma. The work of French philosopher, Voltaire, provides the reader with an understanding of the Enlightenment's perspective on tolerance as an outgrowth of the repression of the reformation period. Tolerance, in the traditional sense, is limited to the allowance for diverse systems of ideas, beliefs and practices. Tolerance is differentiated from diversity, as a contemporary description of sensitivity to and appreciation of personal difference, and multiculturalism, an all—inclusive attempt to embrace ethnic and racial differences. Tolerance as a contributing factor to cultural progression has profound implications for the continuing evolution of leisure theory. Leisure, both substantively and functionally, requires and supports the notion of tolerance and its subcategories of diversity and multiculturalism.

The purpose of this study was to explore historical research trends in adapted physical activity by analyzing abstracts published under special populations by AAHPERD conventions from 1968 to 2004. There were 562 abstracts retrieved that were coded into seven categories: (a) number of authors, (b) data source, (c) sample size, (d) disability type, (e) data analysis, (f) type of study, and (g) focus of study. The coded data are presented as descriptive statistics and linear regression equations. The results of descriptive statistics describe an overall picture of the knowledge accumulation in adapted physical activity. The results of linear regression equations reveal a number of trends over the 37-year period. These trends suggest that adapted physical activity is a growing profession distinguished by several important research directions.

(2006). Student Self-Management through Contract Administration. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 149-153.

Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are chronic, impairing, and costly behavioral health conditions that are four times more prevalent among children of color living in impoverished communities as compared to the general population. This disparity is largely due to the increased exposure to stressors related to low socioeconomic status including community violence, unstable housing, under supported schools, substance abuse, and limited support systems. However, despite high rates and greater need, there is a considerably lower rate of mental health service utilization among these youth. Accordingly, the current study aims to describe a unique model of integrated health care for ethnically diverse youth living in a New York City borough. With an emphasis on addressing possible barriers to implementation, integrated models for children have the potential to prevent ongoing mental health problems through early detection and intervention.

OBJECTIVE. The history and development of the Sensory Processing Measure–School are detailed, and findings of initial pilot studies are reported.METHOD. Multiple reviews, focus groups, case studies, and two pilot studies were used to develop the early versions of the tool. Internal consistency and discriminatory ability were examined.RESULTS. Internal consistency measured with Cronbach’s alphas ranged from .93 to .99 in the first pilot study and .70 to .99 in the second pilot study. Children who were typically developing were correctly classified 92.3% of the time, and children with sensory issues were correctly classified 72% of the time.CONCLUSION. Initial results suggest that the tool is reliable and valid and discriminates children with and without sensory processing issues. Further research is under way with larger samples.

This cross-sectional survey research investigated play preferences of children with and without developmental delays who were between 3 and 7 years old. Parents completed questionnaires regarding their child's play activity and context preferences. Valid results were obtained for 166 children, 83 of whom had developmental delays. Preference ratings were compared by gender, age, and delay status. Play preference did not differ by gender. Rough-and-tumble play and computer/video game play increased with age, whereas object exploration decreased. Children with developmental delays had higher preferences for rough-and-tumble play and object exploration and lower preferences for drawing and coloring, construction, and doll and action figurine play than typically developing children. This comparison of children's play preferences across ages, gender, and developmental status enhances our understanding of how these variables influence children's play.

This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of play experiences and rationales for play choices of 6 boys and 4 girls between the ages of 7 and 11 years. Individual in-depth interviews were completed and then transcribed, and the transcripts were coded and analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Fun emerged from the data as the core category explaining the choice of specific play activities for children, and 4 additional categories of characteristics surfaced as contributors to the children’s perception of fun: relational, activity, child, and contextual. The relationships among the core category, the 4 characteristics categories, and the development of play preference and meaningfulness are illustrated in the Dynamic Model for Play Choice. Included is a discussion of the usefulness of the model in supporting the careful consideration of factors that will increase the perception of fun during therapeutic activities and facilitate client-centered pediatric practice.

Changes in federal legislation guiding occupational therapy practice in educational environments have required modifications in the way therapists evaluate children in these settings. New methods in turn require new tools. This article will describe one new tool designed to assist school-based practitioners in their assessment of the impact of sensory processing and praxis difficulties on educational performance. The Sensory Processing Measure is an assessment tool that promotes team collaboration by examining performance across multiple natural environments and also considers the relationship between sensory processing, praxis and social participation. Part One of this paper provides a description of the assessment tool and its proposed uses while in Part Two, examples of the use of the measure will be presented.

A significant body of research exists that explores the stressors of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are fewer studies, however, that examine specific effective coping strategies of mothers of children with an ASD. This qualitative study explored mothers’ perceptions of effective coping strategies for their parenting stressors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 mothers to inquire about their personal coping methods. Interviews were coded and emergent themes identified that included coping strategies such as “me time,” planning, knowledge is power, sharing the load, lifting the restraints of labels, and recognizing the joys. The information from this study may benefit mothers of children with ASD and inform pediatric therapists providing services to children with ASD and their families.

School-based and early intervention occupational therapy evaluation is influenced by federal policy and prevailing ideas regarding best practice. Current best practice considers a child's performance in appropriate contexts and natural environments, as well as the impact of the environment on occupational functioning and participation across settings. As a recent report suggested 3.4% to 15.6% of children in a community sample of 4-year-olds may demonstrate sensory processing difficulties, occupational therapists should be familiar with multiple methods of assessment to address these concerns. One such assessment tool, the Sensory Processing Measure–Preschool (SPM-P) for children 2- to 5-years old, provides 8 scaled scores: Vision, Hearing, Touch, Body Awareness, Balance and Motion, Total Sensory System Score, Planning and Ideas, and Social Participation. Through discussion on the development, usage, and implementation of both Home and School forms, this article illustrates how the SPM-P provides a mechanism for preschool educational teams to meet best practice initiatives.