Project Play is in the process of hiring a Post-doctoral Fellow to assist with Project Play.

Responsibilities
This new Postdoctoral Research Associate position in Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology is funded by an Institute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), U.S. Department of Education, award to Northeastern University. The 4-year project, entitled “Assessment of Natural Play for Instructional Planning,” is designed to validate the Developmental Play Assessment (DPA: Lifter, 20001) instrument. The DPA was designed as a tool to generate a profile of a child’s skills in play for the purposes of guiding instructional planning. The project seeks to (a) adapt the research version of the DPA (DPA-R) into a user-friendly version for practitioners (DPA-P); and (b) evaluate the psychometric properties and practical feasibility of the DPA-P. Project activities, over the course of 4 years, include recruiting 820 children, with and without disabilities, ranging in age from 8 to 60 months, and conducting longitudinal follow-up of about 217 of these children. Products will
be a fully developed and validated assessment for practitioners to use to assess children’s progress in play for instructional purposes, evidence on the validity and reliability of the DPA-P, and an on-line package for training practitioners to use the instrument. Responsibilities will include management of the project and participation in all phases.

Qualifications

Applicants with a completed doctoral degree in a related field (e.g., child development; early intervention/early childhood special education; psychology) are eligible to apply. Successful applicants will be selected based on their experiences in working with young children, experience in assessment, and provision of multicultural services to children and families. Familiarity with the delivery of services in early intervention, early childhood special education, and/or early childhood is an advantage. Applicants should possess an excellent professional demeanor and strong research and writing skills. Individuals with strong computer and advanced data analytical skills are a plus.

Additional Information

Applicants must apply online. Applicants should include a letter of interest, graduate school transcripts, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, and any other relevant materials to the attention of Karin Lifter, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology. Please email k.lifter@neu.edu if you have any questions. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. This is a full time position with benefits. Pending satisfactory performance of the candidate, employment may be renewable on an annual basis for the duration of the award.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Northeastern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Educational Institution and Employer, Title IX University. Northeastern University particularly welcomes applications from minorities, women and persons with disabilities. Northeastern University is an E-Verify Employer.

To apply for this position:

https://neu.peopleadmin.com/postings/18820

Project Play will develop a Professional version of the Developmental Play Assessment (DPA-P). Using the DPA-P, professionals can see what young children know about play. Then, the professionals can choose play goals for children with delays, risks, and disabilities to help them learn and develop.

Participants:

• Children/Caregivers: With your help, we will recruit children (with and without identified developmental delays) aged 8 to 60 months, and their parents/caregivers, to play with 4 sets of toys for a total of 30-minutes. Parents/caregivers also will answer questions about their children and their home lives. Children will receive a toy and families will receive a gift card.

Location:

Observations will take place in the children’s natural settings (e.g., homes, childcare settings, early intervention programs, and schools) and will take about 3 hours.

Granting Agency:

Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), awarded to Karin Lifter, Emanuel Mason, and Takuya Minami (Co-Investigators).

Contact:

If you would like to participate please contact:

Project Play Office
ProjectPlay@neu.edu; (617) 373-3297
Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology
Northeastern University, 404 International Village, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

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