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Child-Centered Play Therapy and Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children on the Autism Spectrum

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Child-Centered Play Therapy and Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children on the Autism Spectrum
Language: English
Authors: Regine Ki Ki Chung (ORCID 0000-0002-6802-6982)
Source: Online Submission. 2023Ph.D. Dissertation, University of North Texas.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 247
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Play Therapy, Psychotherapy, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Social Development, Emotional Development, Emotional Problems, Behavior Problems, Elementary School Students, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Program Effectiveness, Social Emotional Learning
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Aberrant Behavior Checklist
Abstract: The current study is the first repeated-measures design exploring the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT), an evidence-based child psychotherapy intervention, on autistic children's social-emotional assets, and emotional and behavioral problems across four times during intervention based on teacher reports. Participants consisted of 19 autistic children recruited from two Title-1 elementary schools in the southwest United States who were aged between 5 years and 8.25 years (M = 6.22, SD = 0.91), presented with varied levels of cognitive functioning and speech and language abilities. Over 60% of participants were identified by their parents as children of color. Results indicated participants' increased time in CCPT predicted statistically significant improvement in social-emotional assets measured by Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales-Teacher (SEARS-T) total score with a large effect size. Results also indicated participants' increased time in CCPT predicted a statistically significant reduction in emotional and behavioral problems of irritability, social withdrawal, and hyperactivity/noncompliance, measured by Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Second Edition (ABC-2), with large effect sizes. Findings of this study revealed substantive changes in social-emotional assets as early as 8 CCPT sessions, and reduction of emotional and behavioral concerns as early as 12 CCPT sessions. Clinical significance, implications for practice, and limitations of the study are discussed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: ED659932
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The current study is the first repeated-measures design exploring the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT), an evidence-based child psychotherapy intervention, on autistic children's social-emotional assets, and emotional and behavioral problems across four times during intervention based on teacher reports. Participants consisted of 19 autistic children recruited from two Title-1 elementary schools in the southwest United States who were aged between 5 years and 8.25 years (M = 6.22, SD = 0.91), presented with varied levels of cognitive functioning and speech and language abilities. Over 60% of participants were identified by their parents as children of color. Results indicated participants' increased time in CCPT predicted statistically significant improvement in social-emotional assets measured by Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales-Teacher (SEARS-T) total score with a large effect size. Results also indicated participants' increased time in CCPT predicted a statistically significant reduction in emotional and behavioral problems of irritability, social withdrawal, and hyperactivity/noncompliance, measured by Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Second Edition (ABC-2), with large effect sizes. Findings of this study revealed substantive changes in social-emotional assets as early as 8 CCPT sessions, and reduction of emotional and behavioral concerns as early as 12 CCPT sessions. Clinical significance, implications for practice, and limitations of the study are discussed.