Play Therapy Strategies for Children With ASD, ADHD, and Anxiety: Results and Challenges - Essay Sample

• What strategies have play therapists utilized to effectively target children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders?
• How the diagnosed children's characteristic regarding the socio-demographic, development history and family respond to therapy play?
• What are the shortcomings of therapy play?

Data Sources

The data source used in the project entailed 50 children between the age of 3-15 years their parents and the teachers. The children are those diagnosed withan autism spectrum disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders. Besides, the children sampled were in a rehabilitation centre where one's schooling received their studies.

Data Collection Method

Data collection method involved the administration of the questionnaire, Conner's rating scale and the children's inventory rating scale (CSI-4) on the children's parents and teachers.

The experimentation was done on two bases; the inclusion standards for the children tested to have ADHD and on routine medication with the ages ranging 4-12 years, both boys and girls. The exclusion standards involving children with mental and physical disabilities.

Major Variables and Roles

The age of the children undergoing play therapy in the determination of the effectiveness of the treatment of the age 3-15 years old. The effect of the play therapy on the child based on their socio-demographic features, development history, emotional and behavioural challenges in examining which situation favours most of the therapy's effectiveness. The condition of sampled children before experimentation and the state at the end of the play therapy to assist in making conclusions and assumptions.

Statistical Test Used

The results of the experimentation were prearranged, tabulated, and the analysis was done using the SPSS. The descriptive data included the frequencies and percentages. For the testing, we used T-test to determine the statistical Significant between the initial and final outcome of the play therapy. Secondly, the Chi-square for the statistical tests. For the experiment, the used significant statistical difference was p-value less or equal to 5 and the statistical insignificance less than 0.05.,

Design of the Study

The study design of the project involved an initial meeting of a panel and inspected on the methodology basics, and crediting of the facilitation of children and teachers where three meetings were scheduled for them. The first meeting entailed the panel suggested the fact-finding objectives and organization, scheduled learning sessions and described ways to supervise the testing practices. The other meetings happened in preparation for the project actualization, which provided input for the instructors and application of the previous meeting recordings. A hotline was kept once per week to respond to the teacher's questions and concerns. The last meeting was done after completing the experimentation of the play therapy. The meeting involved the discussion of the results, the efficiency and the disadvantages of the play therapy in the control of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Anxiety Disorder.

Results

Based on socio-demographic features of the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD involved in the experimentation had an average age of 6.28 1.52 years, 17.5% the firstborn and 42.5 third born. Moreover, 87.5 per cent of the diagnosed children were the only ones in the family with the challenge. Below is the table of the results.

Figures 1 & 2 showed that 67.5% of children were boys, and the rest of them (32.5%) were girls. Also, 85% of studied children hadn't had any other chronic diseases, and the rest of them (15%) of them had chronic illnesses.

The table below shows the average ages of the parents of the diagnosed children withmothers ageing 40.60 7.55 and 34.75 6.12 years, respectively. The results of the table show that 45 percent reached high school, having an average of between 1-3 children.

The table below shows that 87.5 per cent of the children were delivered as preterm and used weaning technique of feeding. The breastfed were only 42.5 per cent, and 80 per cent received weaning in a short while. Table 3 showed that the majority of children (87.5%) delivered as preterm and regarding the child's feeding and weaning technique, it was founded that 42.5% and 80% of children were breasts fed and weaned suddenly respectively.

According to the table below, half of the total attained their bowels and bladder control typically. Perhaps their schoolwork development, reading skill, writing, communication and counting was 92.5 percent while 97.5 percent who had abnormal controls had difficulties.

The table below shows the distribution of schooling children about their emotional and behavioral challenges reported by their parents before and after play therapy.

The table below is a comparison of the average score levels regarding to parents and teachers' feedback as regards Conner's abbreviated rating scale of the learned children before and after play therapy.

Discussion

Autism spectrum disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders are chronic conditions affecting millions of children in the world, and the situation extends to adulthood. The project purpose was to examine the impact of play therapy to children with ADHD, and Anxiety Disorders are chronic conditions. The analysis on characteristics of the children that were experimented, the project brought a realization that 50 % of the males and females were two-third. The most challenged children were the boys. The results were similar of Schlack whose analysis showed ADHD rate was higher for boys than girls(Schlack et al., 2014) Secondly, the occurrence of other chronic diseases among the challenged children and having sibling's similar challenges was rare. Contrary to the previous study by Adler that ADHD IS hereditary condition (Adler et al., 2015)

The experimentation also depicted that children's development attaining standard control of the bowel and bladder had positive performance compared to those who experienced those who had delays. The results are similar to those of Siasalem who pointed out that children were experiencing inconsistent faecal and chronic constipation likely contract ADHD (Siasalem, 2011).Thus, concludes play therapy improves the attention of the child, lowers hyperactivity and regulates the impulsive behaviour of children with Autism Spectrum disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders.

The performance of the children in terms of speech, reading capability, writing and counting, current study outcomes show that most of the studied children were having difficulty in both their classwork and communication development, also reading ability, writing and counting abnormal. ADHD symptoms could be the reason, making them have trouble focusing and completing tasks. Similar results were obtained by Evance, who emphasized that children having symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity with or without formal diagnoses of ADHD suffered from learning disabilities, poor academic and educational outcomes. Besides, ADHD can affect the quality of a kid's life (Evance et al., 2014).

Applying the of play therapy on studied children emotional and behavioural problems as reported by their parents, significant differences before and after using play therapy regarding studied children emotional obstacles as regards, fear and anxiety, nervousness, crying and sleeping obstacles. However, there are no statistical differences concerning, aggression, nails cutting, and depression probably ADHD come along diseases. Nigussie supports the results and Al-Khateeb who mentionsthat for few sessions of play therapy on crisis settings, child-centred play therapy (CCPT) and story therapy positively impact on symptoms related to ADHD and associated emotional conditions.

Studying the link between learned children's symptoms of ADHD in terms of low attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity and their age and gender before and after play therapy, the results showno significant numerical differences on applying play therapy as concerning their age. These results are supported bythe finding of Brandt whose study shows that play therapy can be better than talk therapy for children ageing 3-10 years. Play therapy can be essential for children of 4 years and extra with ADHD. Children are capable of learning better at articulating emotions and changing them through noticing their strengths and weaknesses, personality, thoughts, desires, wishes and dreams. More so, theygain self-respect, become extra self-confident and respect for others.

Suggestion for Future Studies

Cooperation of the parents and guardians of the children is essential for persistent treatment results. Parents should practice the play therapy at home using the guidelines provided. Establishment of pursuing program is paramount before the age to reevaluate the play therapy. Provision of an in-service training program on ADHD is essential. The same research can be done with the inclusion of children with some other disorders.

References

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