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Evaluation of a play therapy training programme for youth facilitators of a returned exile children's group

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a play therapy training programme for youth
facilitators of a returned exile children's group. The effectiveness was evaluated qualitatively by
using participant observation to determine whether the facilitators were able to assess the
difficulties of these children and implement the techniques of play therapy to address these
difficulties. Literature was used as a general guideline to determine the criteria needed for lay play
therapists dealing with specifically traumatized children. It was found that most facilitators
experienced difficulty in assessing aggression, withdrawal, nightmares excessive shyness and thumb
sucking as symptoms of difficult behaviour. They were, however, able to recognize more explicit
symptoms like fearful behaviour and excessive clinging behaviour accurately. The majority used
drawings and observations rather than interviews and history taking as assessment strategies.
Mutual storytelling, painting and unstructured play were the primary means of intervention used. It
was concluded that although difficulty with assessing age appropriate behaviour was present, the
facilitators succeeded in using non-threatening therapeutic techniques to address difficult
behaviours in children. In the classification of Overall Communication the facilitators performed
quite well. They excelled at listening, understanding and empathy skills. The programme thus
succeeded in providing necessary skills, but can be improved structurally to make these skills more
accessible. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om die doeltreffendheid van 'n opleidingsprogram in spelterapie vir
jeugdiges as fasiliteerdes van kindergroepe vir teruggekeerde bannelinge te evalueer. Deelnemende
waarneming is as kwalitatiewe maatstaf gebruik om die doeltreffendheid van die program te meet.
Daar word gekyk na die fasiliteerder se vermoƫ om die kinders se probleemareas te identifiseer en
om spelterapietegnieke te implementeer wat hierdie probleme aanspreek. Verder word relevante
literatuur gebruik as kriteria vir leke-spelterapeute wat werk met spesifieke getraumatiseerde
kinders. Die resultate van die onderhawige studie wys dat fasiliteerders dit moeilik gevind het om
simptome soos aggressie, onttrekkingsgedrag, nagmerries, uitermatige skaamheid en duimsuig te
identifiseer as probleemareas. Hulle het dit wel moontlik gevind om meer voor die handliggende
simptome soos vreesbevange gedrag en oormatige klouerigheid akkuraat te herken. Die meerderheid
fasiliteerders het gebruik gemaak van tekeninge en waarnemings vir identifisering van
probleemareas eerder as onderhoudsvoering en die insameling van agtergrondsgeskiedenis. Die
spelterapietegnieke wat die meeste gebruik was, is die gesamentlike vertel van stories, verf en
ongestruktureerde spel. Ten slotte is gevind dat, alhoewel die fasiliteerders gesukkel het om
ouderdomsgepaste gedrag te identifiseer, hulle daarin geslaag het om nie-bedreigende terapeutiese
tegnieke aan te wend om sodoende probleemgedrag aan te spreek. In die klassifikasie van
Oorkoepelende Kommunikasie, het die fasiliteerders uitgeblink in veral luister- begrips- en
empatievaardighede. Die program slaag dus daarin om vaardighede beskikbaar te stel, maar sou
struktureel verbeter kan word om hierdie vaardighede meer toeganklik te maak.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51750
Date04 1900
CreatorsNovember, Karen
ContributorsLoxton, H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format62 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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