Optimizing a School-Based Therapeutic Play Intervention for Preschoolers
Official title: Optimizing a School-Based Therapeutic Play Intervention for Preschool Students: A Factorial Experiment Protocol
Run by The Children's Institute · NCT07609342 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests a combined set of play-based activities in preschools to see which parts help children with mild to moderate social-emotional difficulties.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 3 Years to 6 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 225 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The Children's Institute Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Rochester, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 18, 2024 |
| Main results expected | June 2027 |
| Study ends | August 2027 |
| Registry record updated | May 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07609342 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Preschool children enrolled in participating schools who screening indicates emerging social-emotional adjustment difficulties (15th–30th percentile) and who do not have severe developmental impairments.
✕Probably not a fit
Children without emerging social-emotional adjustment difficulties or with severe developmental impairments may be unlikely to benefit from this specific program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study uses a factorial design to examine three intervention components—individual play, peer play, and classroom push-in sessions—and to see how each, alone and in combination, affects preschoolers' social and emotional competence. The intervention is delivered in school settings, with teachers and caregivers reporting on children’s social-emotional functioning. A community-engaged process will help identify and disseminate the optimized version of the program for preschool implementation. Participants are identified through universal screening and enrolled if they exhibit emerging adjustment difficulties but do not have severe developmental impairments. Outcomes focus on improvements in social-emotional competencies during early childhood.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the optimized intervention could improve preschoolers' social and emotional skills and support smoother school adjustment.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research supports school-based social-emotional learning approaches, but this factorial optimization in preschool settings is a novel approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Children will be eligible if they are enrolled in preschool classrooms at participating schools and identified as appropriate for intervention through universal screening. Screening will be conducted using the Teacher-Child Rating Scale (T-CRS; Hightower et al., 1986), a teacher-completed measure of social-emotional adjustment. Children who score in the target range indicating emerging adjustment difficulties (i.e., 15th to 30th percentile) will be eligible for participation in the trial. Exclusion Criteria: Children will be excluded if they demonstrate severe developmental impairments that would prevent participation in the intervention.
Where it's running
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Children's Institute
Rochester, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Erinn B Duprey, Ph.D.
- Email: eduprey@childrensinstitute.net
- Phone: (585) 295-1000
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.