Observation Tool Date Child . Venue Observer Sheet Number

Observation tool Date………… Child………………. Venue……………………….. Observer……………… Sheet number……………

Time

It is important to have a record of the time frame within which behaviours occur. The time intervals are left open to allow for some flexibility, but the time is usually recorded every minute, and when there is a lot of activity, more often.

Context

The context or environment in which the child is playing is, as we have seen, very important. This si the space for recording whether the child is, for example, at home with a parent in the living room, or at school with several peers and TAs.

Communication and appearance

For children with PMLD, appearance and communication are very closely tied. Although these categories were initially separated, in practice, it was hard to distinguish them so this space is used for observations such as ‘smiles directly at mother’ or ‘looks less engaged in activity’.

Posture

This is important because posture can give useful information about how limited or able a child is to move around or hold items and can also inform us about engagement. This adds to the context in which the child can be playful and to what extent he or she can physically make choices about playful activity. For example, if children are strapped in a wheelchair, they may play differently than when lying on the floor.

Mannerisms

Children with PMLD have many idiosyncratic mannerisms which are useful to record. For example, a child may clench his jaw at certain times, maybe when having skin cream put on. With repeated observation, it may be possible to determine what the jaw clenching meant. Rocking and clapping may also be observed. These behaviours have meaning and will inform us about the emotions of the child).

Influence

Children with PMLD are heavily reliant on the influence of others, especially regarding play, so it was important to record who or what was influencing their behaviour. This category also informs us about what choices are being made by the child.

Activity/comments

This category was primarily developed to enable detailed coding and categorisation of playful activities. As the children will not be engaged in playful activity for the whole observation period, other categories can be added such as ‘waiting’ and ‘toileting’. This, in conjunction with the recording of time, allows for the ‘stopping and starting ‘of play to be recorded and allows the observer to record what the child is actually doing.