Playfulness, Growth, and Development Laboratory (PGD Lab)
At the Playfulness, Growth, and Development Laboratory (PGD Lab), we focus on the study of mental health determinants such as adversity and its impact on an individual’s social and emotional functioning.
We identified playfulness being a key contributor to children’s and adults’ growth and development alongside other protective factors.
We conduct an array of research projects establishing theoretical foundations, identifying individuals’ and community needs, and creating theory-driven and sensible interventions then studying their effectiveness. We develop assessment tools, clinical resources, intervention programs, and training materials.
Current Projects and Services
Families and Children’s Resilience
Children’s relationships with their parent/caregiver contribute significantly to their growth and development. We have found that the opportunity for children to play and be playful with caregivers is of immense importance to their learning, development and mental health. We develop and study the effectiveness of strength-based assessments and interventions that empower parents and caregivers to promote healthy play opportunities within the family context.
Collaborators: Sarah Fabrizi, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Lola Halperin, Ed.D., OTR/L, Sacred Heart University
Team Members:
Sample Work
Waldman-Levi, A., Haden, S.C. & Finzi-Dottan, R. (2024). Children’s Play and Leisure Engagements: The Effect of Maternal Traumatic Events. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33, 1493–1503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02692-z.
Halperin, L. & Waldman-Levi, A. (2023). Development of a Telehealth-Based Group Teacher Training Program: Fidelity and Delivery. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15394492231151882
Waldman-Levi, A. & Kuhaneck, H. (2023). Father-child playfulness: A secondary analysis of a multiple baseline single-subject study of three children with autism spectrum disorder. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(2).
Waldman-Levi, A., Bundy, A., & Shai, D. (2022). Playfulness development and cognitive capacity among typically developing children: A longitudinal study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(5).
Waldman-Levi, A., Finzi-Dottan, R., & Cope, A. (2019). Balancing between synchrony and completion: A grounded theory approach to joint play at the latent period. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-22. doi:10.1007/s10826-019-01638-8.
Waldman-Levi, A., & Weintraub, N. (2015). Efficacy of a crisis intervention for improving mother-child interaction and the children’s play functions. The American Journal of Occupational, Therapy, 69, 1-11. doi:10.5014/ajot.2015.013375.
We are currently recruiting participants for the following research projects:
- Family Resilience Program
- AI-Powered Play Assessment
Student’s Resilience
Over the past two decades, college students have experienced a steady increase in mental health issues like anxiety and depression, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies have identified risk factors related to these challenges, while a few have explored potential protective factors which could contribute to college students’ mental well-being. This project explores resilience factors to support graduate student education and professional development.
Collaborator: Anita Bundy, ScD, OT/L, FAOTA, FOTARA, Colorado State University
Team Members:
Healthy Aging
The healthy aging project focuses on studying the effectiveness of the Healthy Aging Wellness (HAW) program for community-dwelling older adults using different modes of service delivery.
Collaborators: Jeanine Stancanelli, M.P.H., OTD, OTR/L, Mercy University, NY and Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, Doctoral Capstone Coordinator
Team Members:
Sample Work
Waldman-Levi, A., Stancanelli, J., Laghazza, A., Hirsch, R, Kwok, J., Rubin, B, Lambert, T., et al. (in press). Promoting Aging in Place through A Wellness Program: Comparing In-person and Online Delivery. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics.
Waldman-Levi, A., & Bar Haim-Erez, A., Katz, N., & Stancanelli, J. (2020). Emotional functioning and sense of hope as contributors to health aging. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/1539449220920728
Bar-Haim Erez, A, Katz, N., & Waldman-Levi, A. (2016). Protective personality variables and their effect on well-being and participation in the elderly: a pilot study. Healthy Aging Research, 5, 1-9. doi: 10.1097/01.HXR.0000508388.87759.42.
Lab Services
Workshop: How to Use the PC-SCP
The PC-SCP is an observational tool used by clinicians to assess how parents or caregivers support children’s playfulness during unstructured play sessions, with the option for in-person, video-recorded, or telehealth administration. It aims to guide clinicians in developing family-centered interventions that promote parent/caregiver-child relationships and skill development.
To request a workshop, contact Dr. Waldman-Levi: my Rutgers email
Purchase the manual: Parent/Caregiver Support of Children’s Playfulness (PC-SCP)
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) for OTs
Free downloadable resources on Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) for Occupational Therapists:
TIC For Pediatric OTs
TIC for OTs Working with Adults and Older Adults
Meet the Research Team
Dr. Amiya Waldman-Levi’s main research focus is on mental health determinants such as adversity as well as its impact on an individual’s social and emotional functioning. Comprised two distinct research areas, Child and Family Social and Emotional Well-being and Aging and Resilience, her research yielded a commonality between the two.
Dr. Waldman-Levi’s scholarly contributions are both conceptual and methodological as she draws a connection between psychological theories and occupational therapy knowledge basis. Her research has been supported by internal and external grants and disseminated nationally and internationally.
Faculty Bios: Grow | LinkedIn
Dr. Amiya Waldman-Levi
Current Publications
Recent Publications
Gordon-Handler, L. & Waldman-Levi, A. (2025). Establishing psychometric properties to the Inventory of Professional and Academic Reasoning (IPAR®). The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy
Kuhaneck, H., Bundy, A., Fabrizi, S., Lynch, H., Moore, A. H., Parham, D., Roman-Oyola, & Waldman-Levi, A. (2024). State of the Science: Editorial. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Special Issue: Play.
Waldman-Levi, A., Haden, S.C. & Finzi-Dottan, R. (2024). Children’s Play and Leisure Engagements: The Effect of Maternal Traumatic Events. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33, 1493–1503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02692-z.
Waldman-Levi, A. & Kuhaneck, H. (2023). Father-child playfulness: A secondary analysis of a multiple baseline single-subject study of three children with autism spectrum disorder. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(2).
Halperin, L. & Waldman-Levi, A. (2023). Development of a Telehealth-Based Group Teacher Training Program: Fidelity and Delivery. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15394492231151882
Waldman-Levi, A., Bundy, A., & Shai, D. (2022). Playfulness development and cognitive capacity among typically developing children: A longitudinal study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(5).
Waldman-Levi, A., Cope, A., & Olson, L. (2022). Understanding father-child joint play experience using a convergent mixed-methods design. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(5).
Waldman-Levi, A. (2021). Differences in how mothers and fathers support children’s playfulness. Journal of Infant and Child Development. DOI: 10.1002/icd.2257
Coffin, D., Collins, M., & Waldman-Levi, A. (2021). Fostering inter-professional education through service learning: The Belize experience. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, https://doi.org/10.1080/07380577.2021.1877862
Waldman-Levi, A., Finzi-Dottan, R., & Cope, A. (2019). Balancing between synchrony and completion: A grounded theory approach to joint play at the latent period. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-22. doi:10.1007/s10826-019-01638-8
Waldman-Levi, A., Grinion, S., & Olson, L. (2019). Effects of maternal views and support on childhood development through joint play, The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 7, 4, 1-21. doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1613
Waldman-Levi, A., Hirsch, I., Gutwillig, G., & Parush, S. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Parents as Partners in Intervention (PAPI) questionnaires. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 2.
Waldman-Levi, A. & Bundy, A. (2016). A Glimpse into co-occupations: Parent’s support of young children’s playfulness scale. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 32(3). http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0164212X.2015.1116420.
