Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Influences in Neuro-Occupation Pertaining to Play

Abstract

The occupation of play is a vital and necessary component of the developing child. Many factors underlie the overall ability of the child to engage in play, such as the physical and social environment and the child's desire for exploration. Using neuro-occupation as a foundational framework, the current paper addresses the relationship of play and the autonomic nervous system. The components of the autonomic nervous system are presented and basic neuronal pathways of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are reviewed. The supportive role of the autonomic nervous system and specifically the sympathetic nervous system's response to stress is explained as it applies to the occupation of play. A case example is used to further illustrate the relationship of the autonomic nervous system and play as neuro-occupation.

KEYWORDS:

• Autonomic nervous system
• sympathetic nervous system
• play
• environment