Emeritus ProfessorKaren Stagnitti

Professor Stagnitti's research is primarily concerned with play ability of
children under 10 years of age. The research area can be broken down into the
following main areas:
The continuing development of a norm referenced play assessment: The Child-
Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA)
The relationship between play and literacy ability in young children
The use of the ChIPPA with different clinical groups of children
The refinement of an intervention play therapy called 'Learn to Play' that
builds a child's play skills with increases in a child's language, social
competence and flexibility.

Continuing research on the Parent Learn to Play program.

The Learn to Play program with children with ASD

The development of the Animated Movie Test - an assessment of creativity,
logical thinking, symbolic thinking and narrative for adolescents.

The investigation of early play abiltiy in people with Anorexia Nervosa

Knowledge Areas
Professor Stagnitti specialises in children's play. She has developed 2 play
assessments, the Symbolic and Imaginative Play Developmental Checklist and the
Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.

Projects
Faculty member of the Research and Research Training Committee
Chair of the Research and Research Training Committee

Chair of the Animal Ethics Committee Laboratory