Certification in ‘Play Development Facilitation’ (PDF) is a training program developed to create a cadre of professionals (PlayPal), qualified to teach children, especially those with special needs, physical or movement-based activities in a motivating, encouraging and a learning environment.

The implementing agency of the project, the Setco Foundation was established in 2007 as the Setco Group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, focusing on healthcare, education and empowerment.

The Play Development Facilitation (PDF) training program is a three months part-time training program comprising of conceptual learning through theory classes, practical session observation, supervised hands-on experience of teaching play and sports skills to children with special needs followed by on-going mentorship for six months from pediatric occupational therapists.

• Human development and skill learning
• Developmental disabilities
• Addressing challenging behaviours
• Child rights and inclusion
• The practice of family-centered care and services to children with developmental disabilities

• Sports coaches and physical education teachers from special schools
• Fitness trainers from sport academies
• Yoga, dance and martial arts coaches
• Special educators, Early child development teachers
• Sportsmen and athletes interested in getting certified as sports coaches for children
• Parents, caregivers of children with special needs

• recognize the strengths and challenges of all children including those with special needs and learn to engage with them in a positive manner
• teach a sports skill to children with special needs through fun and play-way methods to facilitate their overall development
• recognize and mitigate challenging behaviours
• create a supporting and faciliatory environment to engage with children needing additional support
• develop a professional work ethic by being sensitive and respectful to every child and family

The PDF training is a skill learning program and the beneficiaries are a highly sensitive population of children with special needs. A mandatory six-month post-training mentoring is provided to the ‘PlayPals’ by the faculty with the objectives to supervise the trainees’ practical skills and monitor their working with children and offer support whenever necessary.

The PlayPal India has successfully conducted two batches of the training programs and has trained eighteen PlayPals who are now are working with over six hundred children. Over and above the PDF training program, at PlayPal India conducts short training sessions for parents, sports coaches and teachers to create an awareness of developmental disabilities and introduction to need for and strategies to build play skills in children.

PlayPals will have openings in special schools, sports academies and to work as independent practitioners.

• To reach out across India, creating a large pool of trained coaches, ‘PlayPals’ to work with a greater number of children with special needs through a value-added training program, accredited by an educational institute of repute.
• To create a safe and enriching play area where children with special needs get to spend enjoyable quality time to learn a game or a movement-based activity of their choice under the professional guidance of a trained PlayPal.