Vanessa Madaschi

Mackenzie Presbitirian University, Brazil

Title: From affordances to participation: the role of the Ludic Concept® in creating motor, sensory, and social opportunities in an enriched natural environment

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Biography

Vanessa Madaschi is an occupational therapist with extensive academic training in rehabilitation and developmental disorders. She graduated in Occupational Therapy from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in 1996 and completed a residency in Physical Rehabilitation in 1997. She subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Developmental Disorders in 2012 and a PhD in Developmental Disorders in 2021 from Mackenzie Presbyterian University. Her academic and professional background reflects a strong focus on occupational therapy, physical rehabilitation, and developmental disorders.

Abstract

Background:

Participation in children with neurodevelopmental conditions is shaped not only by individual characteristics but also by the dynamic relationship between the child, the environment, activities, and social partners. From an affordance perspective, environments provide possibilities for action that may support exploration, interaction, and participation. However, the presence of environmental opportunities does not necessarily result in their use. The Ludic Concept® proposes that play can function as a relational process through which adults recognize, support, and expand emerging possibilities for action and participation.

Objective:

To explore, through the Ludic Concept® framework, how participation in Sensory Camp®, an enriched natural-environment experience in Brazil, was associated with perceived changes in sensory exploration, self-regulation, avoidance behaviors, and participation among children with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Methods:

A quantitative, descriptive, comparative pre–post design was used. Forty-two children with typical and atypical development, including different neurodevelopmental conditions, participated in Sensory Camp®. Caregivers completed questionnaires before and after the experience. Because the pre- and post-intervention instruments were not identical, responses were compared through thematic equivalence across domains including sensory responses, emotional regulation, activity participation, and behavioral responses. Findings were interpreted descriptively and within the conceptual framework of affordances and the Ludic Concept®.

Results:

Caregiver reports indicated perceived positive changes following participation in Sensory Camp®, including greater self-regulation, increased participation in activities, greater sensory exploration, and reduced avoidance behaviors. These findings suggest that participation in an enriched natural environment may provide conditions that support diverse forms of engagement and exploration.

Conclusion:

The findings support a contextual interpretation in which the environment is not merely a setting for intervention but a source of affordances that may expand opportunities for action and interaction. The Ludic Concept® offers a framework for understanding how playful relational mediation may help transform environmental possibilities into meaningful motor, sensory, and social opportunities. This perspective shifts the focus from simply providing sensory experiences toward intentionally creating conditions in which children can act, explore, interact, and participate.