In this thesis, we propose a Serious Game (SG) for children with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that builds on the concept of LEGO®-Based Therapy that is aimed at improving social and cognitive skills. The proposed SG is composed of building blocks augmented with electronic modules that connect to a computing device that provides visual feedback. We investigate the effects of using the proposed computer SG by comparing it to a non-computer block-game during two empirical studies, one following an unstructured play approach and a second one with structured play by assigning roles to the players. For the first study, the proposed system showed an improvement in social interaction, collaborative play and exercise performance, as well as a decrease in solitary play. For the second study, the proposed system showed an improvement in social interaction, positive vocalizations and exploratory behavior. There was also a marked preference towards the proposed game. Furthermore, we perceived a decrease on the assistance needed when using the proposed system during both studies. Our results suggest that the proposed system can be a useful play therapy tool aimed for young children with ASD.

Please read the abstract in the section, 00front, of this document / Dissertation (MA(MW))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

This study investigated the influence of music-based socialisation groups upon the social functioning of children in early childhood. A qualitative research approach was followed and a case study research design was employed to investigate the phenomenon at hand. Eight children (aged five to six years) from the Thando Westford Community Crèche in Pretoria, South Africa, were purposively selected to participate in ten music-based group sessions over the course of eight weeks. Each session was video recorded and focused observation was employed to collect data on seven social skills according to the model of Schiller (2009), namely confidence, curiosity, intentionality, self-control, relatedness, capacity for communication and cooperativeness. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants’ teacher to examine the potential for transfer of skills learned in the group to the classroom and to explore the value and feasibility of facilitating such groups within the community crèche setting. Principles of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory formed the theoretical foundation for the design and implementation of the music groups and for the interpretation of research findings. The research findings suggested that the music-based socialisation groups were able to promote each of the seven social skills, although the nature and extent of such influence differed among individuals. Music-based activities displayed several strengths as a medium for working with young children, including the cooperative and inclusive nature of activities. Both contextual and individual factors influenced how the participants responded to the groups. Transfer of skills learned in the groups to general classroom behaviour was limited, perhaps due to a lack of follow-up activities aimed at this purpose. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to determine which play therapy techniques were most effective when applied to working with children who have angercontrol problems.

No description available.

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of filial therapy as a method of intervention for non-offending parents and their children who have experienced sexual abuse. Filial therapy is a didactic/dynamic approach used by play therapists to train parents to be therapeutic agents with their children. Parents are taught basic child-centered play therapy skills and the utilization of these skills in weekly play sessions with their children. Parents learn to create a special environment which enhances and strengthens the parent-child relationship, thus assisting in personal growth and change for both the parent and child. The purpose of this study was to determine if filial therapy is effective in: (a) increasing the acceptance of non-offending parents of their sexually abused children; (b) reducing the stress level of non-offending parents; (c) improving empathic behaviors of non-offending parents toward their sexually abused child; (d) decreasing the anxiety of sexually abused children; (e) enhancing the self-concept of sexually abused children; (f) decreasing behavior problems of sexually abused children as reported by their non-offending parents; and (g) enhancing the emotional adjustment of sexually abused children.

Bakgrund Många barn upplever oro i samband med vistelse inom hälso- och sjukvården. Oron kan försämra barnets förmåga att hantera medicinska procedurer och forma negativa sjukvårdsupplevelser som kan komplicera kommande kontakter med sjukvården. Det finns också ett samband mellan oro och smärta. Lek är ett viktigt sätt för barn att uttrycka sig och olika typer av lek kan i strukturerad form användas i sjukvården för att informera och förbereda barn inför olika medicinska procedurer. Barnkompetens och kunskap kring barns svar på olika förberedande interventioner är av stor vikt för ett professionellt arbete med barn. Syfte Syftet var att undersöka effekter av förberedande lekterapeutiska interventioner på barns oro och smärta i samband med olika medicinska procedurer. Metod En litteraturöversikt av allmän karaktär genomfördes där 17 vetenskapliga artiklar av kvantitativ design utgjorde grunden för resultatet. De vetenskapliga artiklarna inhämtades från databaserna PubMed och CINAHL, och kvalitetsgranskades utifrån Sophiahemmet Högskolas bedömningsunderlag för klassificering och kvalitetsgranskning. En integrerad dataanalys genomfördes och resultatet sorterades in i kategorier och subkategorier.  Resultat Resultatet redovisas genom två huvudkategorier och fem subkategorier. De identifierade huvudkategorierna var: direkta effekter på barns periprocedurala oro och smärta och indirekta effekter på barns periprocedurala oro och smärta. Subkategorierna som identifierades var i sin tur: minskad oro, minskad smärta, ökad följsamhet, minskademaladaptiva beteenden samt minskade fysiologiska stressreaktioner.  Slutsats Resultatet visade positiva effekter av lekterapeutiska förberedelseinterventioner på barns periprocedurala oro och smärta, genom minskade oros- och smärtnivåer. Vidare kunde även indirekta effekter ses på barns periprocedurala oro och smärta genom ökad följsamhet, minskade maladaptiva beteenden och minskade fysiologiska stressreaktioner. Fler studier behövs dock för att bekräfta de indirekta effekterna. / Background Medical procedures and hospitalization can be a cause of anxiety for children. Anxiety canimpede children's ability to cope with medical treatment and complicate further treatment or contact with the healthcare system. There is also a correlation between anxiety and pain. Play is an important way for children to express themselves and different types of play can, in a structured form, be used to inform and prepare children for medical procedures. Pediatric expertise and knowledge about children's responses to various preparatory interventions is important in the professional work with children. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of preparatory play interventions on children's anxiety and pain when undergoing medical procedures. Method A literature review was conducted, and the result was based on 17 included scientific articles of quantitative design. The scientific articles were obtained from the two databases PubMed and CINAHL, and their quality was reviewed on the basis of SophiahemmetUniversity's assessment matrix for classification and quality review. An integrated data analysis was performed, and the results were sorted into categories and subcategories. Results Two main categories and five subcategories were identified. The two main categories were: direct effects on children's periprocedural anxiety and pain and indirect effects on children's periprocedural anxiety and pain. In addition, the five subcategories were: reduced anxiety, reduced pain, increased compliance, less maladaptive behaviors and less physiological stress responses.  Conclusions The results showed positive effects of preparatory play interventions on children's periprocedural anxiety and pain. In addition, the results showed increased compliance, lessmaladaptive behaviors and less physiological stress responses, though more studies are necessary to confirm these effects.

This study explores the lived experiences of using tactile objects in Child and Youth Care (CYC) Practitioners’ practice. This thesis includes the definition and scope of tactile objects, explores what being a CYC Practitioner means, describes the many roles that CYC Practitioners hold, and shares what CYC Practitioners articulate about the use of tactile objects in their office space and environment. This study focused on the lived experiences of CYC Practitioners who work with clients and provide or utilize tactile objects in their practice. By interpreting the experiences, co-constructed themes identified how tactile objects are used, what beliefs guide their use, feelings that come up in use, and ideas about outcomes from their use, along with some emerging observations. The results from this study provide a case for increased education for CYC Practitioners, better tools for them and their clients to have access to and will help fill the gap in CYC literature about experiences of tactile objects in practice. / Graduate / 2023-08-23

Interventions for children and their families have traditionally stemmed from two interrelated frameworks: play-based child therapies, and family therapies (Gil, 2015). Integrated family play therapy frameworks aim to capitalize on the strengths of both approaches by combining meaningful engagement of children through play, and systems-level insights into patterns of family functioning and interaction (Gil, 2015). A virtually unexplored avenue for play-based therapeutic applications of role-play that may lend themselves to an integrated family play therapy framework are tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs); cooperative and narrative-based games wherein players adopt the role of fictional characters as they navigate a fantasy setting arbitrated by a game master. Case studies on the use of TRPGs with children and young adults have yielded initial evidence of their potential therapeutic utility (e.g., Blackmon, 1994; Enfield, 2007; Rosselet & Stauffer, 2013), however, research on their application is limited, particularly with families. The current study pilot tested an original TRPG module (“The Family Tabletop Adventure”) for use with families to establish the module’s potential therapeutic utility and identify targets for further refinement. A sample of three family groups (N = 11) were recruited to participate in six weekly online sessions (a 1-hour introductory session, four 1.5- to 2-hour game sessions, and a 1-hour exit interview). A variety of mixed-method measures were used to assess family functioning at baseline and post-game, including observational coding, self-report, and qualitative group interviews. Exploratory analyses of the findings indicated the module’s feasibility of implementation and ease of use, low iatrogenic risk, perceptions by families as fun and engaging, and potential utility across a range of family processes relevant to therapeutic contexts, including communication and problem solving, positive interactions and relationship building, and the generation of novel insights about family members. Family feedback was used to identify several targets for additional refinement of the game module to improve families’ comprehension and engagement with the game. The implications of these findings and their relevance to the use of TRPGs in family intervention contexts are discussed. / Graduate / 2023-08-26

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 = .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.