Child-Centered Group Play Therapy with Children with Speech Difficulties.

Abstract

efficacy of child-centered group play therapy with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children with speech difficulties as an intervention strategy for improving specific speech problems in the areas of articulation, receptive language, and expressive language. A second purpose was that of determining the efficacy of child-centered group play therapy in improving self-esteem, positive social interaction, and in decreasing anxiety and withdrawal behaviors among pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children with speech difficulties.The experimental group consisted of 11 children who received 25 group play therapy sessions one time a week in addition to their directive speech therapy sessions. The comparison group consisted of 10 children who received only their directive speech therapy sessions. The Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test -Revised, and theClinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals -3 were used to measure receptive and expressive language skills. The Burks' Behavior Rating Scale was used to measure symptoms of anxiety, withdrawal, poor self-esteem, and poor social skills as observed by parents and teachers.Twelve hypotheses were tested using ANCOVA and Eta Squared. Child-centered group play therapy was shown to have a large practical significance in helping children improve their expressive language skills. Child-centered group play therapy was shown to have a medium practical significance in increasing children's receptive language skills. Small sample size may have contributed to the lack of statistical significance as calculated by the analysis of covariance.Child-centered group play therapy was shown to have a small yet positive impact upon children's articulation skills and anxiety. Although not significant at the .05 level, these results indicate a slightly larger increase in articulation skills and a slightly larger decrease in symptoms of anxiety among those children who received group play therapy as compared to those who did not. Child-centered group play therapy was shown to have a mixed effect upon children's selfesteem, withdrawal behaviors, and positive social interactions.This study supports the use of child-centered group play therapy as an effective intervention strategy for children with speech difficulties to improve expressive and receptive language skill development.

The Effectiveness Differences of Adlerian Group Play Counseling and Classroom Guidance Activity in Improving Interpersonal Attractiveness

“…Through this approach, they can develop their social interest and socialize with their peers. In line with this statement, Danger (2003) points out that the group play therapy has been related to the improvement of social acceptance. A child, who is assumed to have a good social acceptance, possesses proximity and familiarity with his/her surrounding that affects on the interpersonal attractiveness (Berscheid & Walster, 1978).…”

“…According to Bevins (in Danger, 2003), the game process demands the children learn to accept and to be accepted by other people. Accordingly, the popular and the controversial children will understand more about the isolated children, and vice versa.…”

Behavioural and emotional well-being of children following non-directive play with school staff

“…The current study sought to investigate whether similar benefits to that of play therapy interventions were found for children who engage in non-directive play with trained and supervised school staff. Research indicates positive effects of play therapy interventions on children's behaviour with reference to a range of problem areas such as anxiety and behavioural problems (Fall, Navelski, & Welch, 2002;Draper, White, O'Shaughnessy, Flynt, & Jones, 2001;Danger & Landreth, 2005;Packman & Bratton, 2003). For example, play therapy has been successful in reducing anxiety symptoms in children with special educational needs (Fall et al, 2002) and in reducing both anxiety and depression in discouraged or struggling children (Draper et al, 2001) and pre-adolescent children (Packman & Bratton, 2003).…”

Play Therapy Research: Issues for 21st Century Progress

“…Another recent treatment study, conducted by some of the same authors and using almost identical study design as Bratton et al (2013), provided evidence for Adlerian play therapy as another level 2 treatment for disruptive behavior (Meany-Walen, Bratton, & Kottman, 2014). While the remainder of play therapy interventions published since the year 2000 remain at level 4, there has been a growing number of 21st-century experimental and quasi-experimental research studies indicating positive treatment effects for several presenting problems, including internalizing problems (Packman & Bratton, 2003), ADHD (Ray, Schottelkorb, & Tsai, 2007), trauma (Schottelkorb, Doumas, & Garcia, 2012;Tyndall-Lind, Landreth, & Giordano, 2001;Shen, 2002), academic problems (Blanco & Ray, 2011), delayed language skills (Danger & Landreth, 2005), teacher-child relationship problems (Ray, 2007;Ray, Henson, Schottelkorb, Brown, & Muro, 2008), and adaptation to medical problems (Bloch & Toker, 2008;Jones & Landreth, 2002;Li & Lopez, 2007;Tsai et al, 2013). The empirical evidence for medical play therapy is particularly notable for its methodological strengths and promising results.…”

“…This review of 21st century peer-reviewed and published nonfilial play therapy studies identified 18 experimental studies (Blanco & Ray, 2011;Bratton et al, 2013;Carpentier, Silovsky, & Chaffin, 2006;Danger & Landreth, 2005;Fall et al, 2002;Garza & Bratton, 2005;Jones & Landreth, 2002;Li et al, 2008;Meany-Walen et al, 2014;Packman & Bratton, 2003;Paone, Packman, Maddux, & Rothman, 2008;Ray, 2007;Ray et al, 2007Ray et al, , 2008Schottelkorb et al, 2012;Shen, 2002;Tsai et al, 2013;Wang Flahive, & Ray, 2007). While randomization is often difficult when designing an intervention-based research design, play therapy researchers have clearly responded to the need for RCTs.…”