Play therapy in the prevention of behavioural disorders of school-aged children

Abstract

The main goal of this research was to identify and understand the effects of play therapy on the prevention of behavioural disorders of younger school-aged children. A semi-structured interview was used as the data collection method with 17 open-ended questions. The study participants were seven parents whose children were involved in play therapy treatment for at least 3 months. It has been shown that play therapy is an effective medium in empathy development, more successful emotion management, encouragement of non-violent communication and reduction in aggressive behaviour. It can be concluded that the effectiveness of play therapy in the prevention of behavioural disorders significantly depends on the involvement of parents in treatment and the relationship between a therapist and a child. This research certainly serves as a basis for further research that will recognise the importance of therapeutic play in solving emotional and/or behavioural difficulties of children and youth. Keywords: Behavioural disorders, child, play therapy, prevention.

LPCs’ and state-certified school counselors’ perceptions of utilizing play therapy with autism spectrum disorder.

“…Toys can give different symbolic meanings to each child’s struggles and allow the child to express negative or positive feelings (Allen & Barber, 2015). Therapists can use play to enable the child to successfully communicate with others, express feelings, modify behaviors, develop problem-solving skills, and nurture empathy and respect for the thoughts and feelings of others (Maras, 2021). Play is an intervention for children that helps decrease the children’s need to externalize problematic behaviors, thereby helping to create more solid relationships with peers (Allen & Barber, 2015).…”

“…Play facilitates creating a solid and trusting therapeutic alliance with the child, resulting in a secure corrective relationship (Stewart et al, 2016). The supportive relationship that develops between a therapist and a child with ASD during the session can provide the corrective emotional experience needed to heal and promote cognitive development (Maras, 2021). The play therapy environment provides a culturally sensitive, safe, and open space for freedom of expression through inquiry and exploration (Allen & Barber, 2015; Blanco et al, 2017).…”

Žaidimų terapijos taikymas ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikų emocinės sveikatos ugdymui(si): ugdomojo projekto rezultatai

“…Vienas pirmųjų Lietuvoje žaidimų terapiją, kaip psichokorekcijos metodą, analizavo D. Dvarionas (2004). Mokslininkai (Kšeminskij, 2019;Senko, Bethany, 2019;Maras, 2021) išryškino žaidimo, kaip esminio vaikų ugdymo/-si būdo, padedant jiems įveikti iškilusius sunkumus, efektyvumą.…”