International Journal of Play Therapy® Tests


Presentations: 1

Starting with the January 2018 issue, earn non-contact continuing education credit by completing tests based upon the International Journal of Play Therapy®.

ATTENTION: The fee does not include publication material, price includes CE test only. APT Members must consult their print or online International Journal of Play Therapy prior to completing tests online.

Access the International Journal of Play Therapy® archives to view the article issues online.

 
Continuing Education

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APA. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. APT maintains responsibility for this program and its content.


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NBCC. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5636. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. APT is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.


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APT. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) offers continuing education specific to play therapy. APT Approved Provider 95-100 maintains responsibility for the program.

Sessions

Implementing Play and Language Therapy (PAL) to Work with Preschool Children with Language and Behavioral Issues iconImplementing Play and Language Therapy (PAL) to Work with Preschool Children with Language and Behavioral Issues

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Implementing Play and Language Therapy (PAL) to Work with Preschool Children with Language and Behavioral Issues

Credits: None available.

Communicating thoughts and needs is one of the most essential components of beinghuman. In the United States, 6.4 million preschool-age children are diagnosed with alanguage disorder (Reed, 2012). Many of these children also exhibit co-morbidbehavior issues. Difficulties with effective communication and behavior can result inacademic, social, and personal issues for these children (Balch & Ray, 2015). Whilespeech-language pathologists are well versed in providing communicationinterventions, there is a lack of specific knowledge related to behavioral aspects.Relationship-based play therapy interventions such as Child Teacher RelationshipTherapy have proven to be effective at helping to develop positive relationships andbehaviors (Soccaros et al., 2015). The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss thedevelopment and application of a relationship-based play therapy intervention knownas Play and Language Therapy (PAL) for speech-language pathologists working withpreschool children with language disorders and behavioral issues.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Skill and Methods
  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Provide examples of key issues experienced by preschool children with language disorders and behavior difficulties and their caregivers.
  • Discuss the specific information related to the impact of positive relationships between preschool children and caregivers in addressing language disorders and behavior difficulties.
  • Provide an overview of the integration the PAL intervention by play therapists and speech-language pathologists to address language disorders and behavior difficulties for preschool children.
Speaker(s):
Transgender and Gender Expansive Affirming Child Centered Play Therapy iconTransgender and Gender Expansive Affirming Child Centered Play Therapy

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Transgender and Gender Expansive Affirming Child Centered Play Therapy

Credits: None available.

Play therapists will inevitably work with transgender and gender expansive (TGE)individuals and need to develop competence in order to effectively work with this population. Given the dearth of literature on the use of play therapy to support TGEchildren and the fact that play therapists working in the school setting are in a prime position to provide needed support and advocacy, this article provides guidance on how to effectively work with TGE children using Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT).The article reviews the challenges TGE children face at home and in school and how to use the skills of CCPT in a TGE affirming way, using a case study and detailed examples of responses. How play therapists working in schools can work with parents/caregivers and advocate in the school setting are also included.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Skill and Methods
  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Integrate TGE affirming play therapy into a Child Centered Play therapy framework.
  • Identify specific skills and examples for TGE affirming play therapy.
  • Discuss a case example on how TGE affirming play therapy might look in the playroom.
Speaker(s):
Group Child-Centered Play Therapy for School-Aged North Korean Refugee Children iconGroup Child-Centered Play Therapy for School-Aged North Korean Refugee Children

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Group Child-Centered Play Therapy for School-Aged North Korean Refugee Children

Credits: None available.

We examined the effects of group play therapy on North Korean refugee children who resettled in South Korea. A qualitative case study methodology was adopted to understand and analyze the healing process that children go through during therapy,with a focus on play characteristics and changes in play patterns. We analyzed four North Korean refugee girls who were in the second or third grade (age range8–9years). Essential information about the girls was provided by caregivers, teachers, and school officials. The children processed the psychological traumas that they had sustained by playing out past traumatic events. Therapy outcomes made it clear that a group play therapy approach was effective in treating the children’s psychological troubles. As therapy progressed, the children exhibited reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved attention, and more frequent instances of age-appropriate play. Children with internalized behavior problems showed fewer problem behaviors and more appropriate emotional expressions over the course of the therapy. Children with externalized behavior problems showed fewer aggressive behaviors and increased empathy toward others. Their psychological trauma was rooted in disrupted interpersonal relationships, which is too commonly observed in North Korean refugee children,and it took longer to treat than traumas of simpler natures and associated symptoms.Our study adds to the existing body of research by presenting the specific processes and outcomes of a group play-therapy case study, which provides a data set that may prove useful in counseling at-risk children, including North Korean refugee children.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Skills and Methods
  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Provide readers with knowledge about the healing process that school-aged North Korean refugee children go through during therapy.
  • Focus on play characteristics and changes in play therapy with school-aged North Korean refugee children during therapy.
  • Examine the effects of group play therapy on North Korean refugee children who resettled in South Korea.
Speaker(s):
The use of aggressive toys in schools: Insights and experiences of school-based play therapists iconThe use of aggressive toys in schools: Insights and experiences of school-based play therapists

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The use of aggressive toys in schools: Insights and experiences of school-based play therapists

Credits: None available.

Play therapy has emerged as a culturally and developmentally appropriate intervention for addressing the mental health needs of children in a variety of settings, including schools. The inclusion of a diverse array of toys by play therapists can allow children to explore issues, process emotions, and develop solutions through their language of play. In particular, some children require safe and open spaces to address experiences with violence or trauma through aggressive play or toys, including weapons. For school-based play therapists, the inclusion of aggressive toys can be difficult due to controversy surrounding the impact of aggressive toys in play along with school-based policies maintaining zero-tolerance. The research team explored the experiences and perceptions of 15 school-based play therapists regarding the use of aggressive toys. Four overarching themes emerged from the data: aggressive toys in practice, therapeutic factors of aggressive toys, conceptions of aggression and play therapy, and environmental considerations. We discuss the implications for school-based play therapy practice, training, and supervision along with recommendations for future research.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Special Topics
  • Cultural and Social Diversity

Learning Objectives:
  • Discuss 5 examples of aggressive toys and their application to school-based play therapy.
  • Share 3 strengths and 3 limits of including aggressive toys in school-based play therapy sessions.
  • Identify 3 strategies to advocate for the inclusion of and 3 alternative materials to aggressive toys in school-based play therapy.
Speaker(s):
Therapists’ Experiences of Play Therapy with Muslim Families in Western Countries: The Importance of Cultural Respect iconTherapists’ Experiences of Play Therapy with Muslim Families in Western Countries: The Importance of Cultural Respect

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Therapists’ Experiences of Play Therapy with Muslim Families in Western Countries: The Importance of Cultural Respect

Credits: None available.

Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate intervention for children to address behavioral concerns. However, the Muslim population experience multiple barriers in accessing mental health services. Limited studies explore barriers from the therapist’s perspective. To clarify the experiences and various challenges in providing play therapy to the Muslim population, this study explored the experiences of play therapists working with Muslim families in Western Countries. The researcher conducted eight semi-structured interviews with play therapists from Australia, United States and United Kingdom. Constructivist grounded theory uncovered several key insights around demonstrating cultural respect, specifically, the purpose of respect, the conceptualizations of respect, barriers that limit the benefits of respect, and the effects of these barriers on client outcome. For example, therapists who attempted to show respect towards other cultures may sometimes, albeit inadvertently, homogenize other cultures and inhibit their natural inclinations and intuitions—sometimes compromising their clinical judgments. Training and supervision around cultural humility, rather than cultural competence, might redress some of these complications.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Cultural and Social Diversity
  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • • Identify ways to demonstrate cultural humility in play therapy practice
  • • List barriers that limit the benefits of respect in play therapy practice
  • • Discuss practical aspects of demonstrating cultural respect in play therapy practice
Speaker(s):
Does Age Make a Difference When Incorporating Music as a Rhythmic-mediated Component in a Theraplay-based Program to Facilitate Attunement of Preschool Children with Social Impairment? iconDoes Age Make a Difference When Incorporating Music as a Rhythmic-mediated Component in a Theraplay-based Program to Facilitate Attunement of Preschool Children with Social Impairment?

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Does Age Make a Difference When Incorporating Music as a Rhythmic-mediated Component in a Theraplay-based Program to Facilitate Attunement of Preschool Children with Social Impairment?

Credits: None available.

This study examined the effectiveness of a Theraplay-based program that incorporated music as a rhythm-mediated component to facilitate attunement among children in two age groups. A total of 15 children, with 7 in the younger group (aged around 4) and 8 in the older group (aged around 6), participated in a 11-week program conducted in a group format. Data were collected before and immediately after the program. The children were evaluated using a questionnaire on social responsiveness as well as a performance-based rhythm matching task on attunement. The results indicated significant changes in children’s responsiveness to others. The effect size, particularly for the younger group, was also large. The qualitative data indicated stronger progress among children in the younger group. Despite the use of a small sample, the results of this study suggest a promising effect of rhythm and music in a Theraplay-based program for facilitating children’s synchronization and ability to establish connections. Limitations of the study and future directions are described.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Skill and Methods
  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Explain how music can be incorporated into a Theraplay-based program to establish connection with children who have social impairment
  • Give at least two examples of musical activities that can be used to facilitate affect attunement between child and adult
  • Develop ideas for evaluating programs for young children
Speaker(s):
Therapeutic or Traumatic: An Exploratory Study of Play Therapists’ Perceptions of Toy Guns and Aggressive Toys in the Playroom iconTherapeutic or Traumatic: An Exploratory Study of Play Therapists’ Perceptions of Toy Guns and Aggressive Toys in the Playroom

Preview Available

Therapeutic or Traumatic: An Exploratory Study of Play Therapists’ Perceptions of Toy Guns and Aggressive Toys in the Playroom

Credits: None available.

Mass shootings and gun violence are becoming more and more commonplace in theU.S. Gun control continues to be a controversial topic in America. This controversyextends to the playroom and play therapy literature, as play therapists grapple with thedecision to include or exclude toy guns from the playroom. Within thisphenomenological study, play therapists considered and defined their decisions toinclude/exclude guns within the playroom. Themes identified included the influence ofpersonal and theoretical beliefs on inclusion and exclusion, child development, toys asmetaphors, and boundaries and limit setting around toy guns in the playroom. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are explored.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Seminal / Historically Significant Theories
  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Identify their person beliefs regarding toy guns in the play therapy room
  • Recognize their personal tolerance for toy guns and as a result, when they would set limits surrounding toy guns in the playroom (complete exclusion, people are not for shooting, I am for shooting tummy and below)
  • Discuss their rationale for their inclusion/exclusion of toy guns in the play therapy room
Speaker(s):
Group Reality Play Therapy iconGroup Reality Play Therapy

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Group Reality Play Therapy

Credits: None available.

Many therapy theories can be applied to working with youth. Reality Therapy has been an effective approach for working with a wide range of youth (Loyd, 2005; Passaro, Moon, Wiest, & Wong, 2004). Recently, Authors (2018; 2019) proposed combining Play Therapy with Reality Therapy to create Reality Play Therapy (RePT). In this manuscript, we have expanded upon the RePT model and developed an eight-week small group therapy intervention that can be utilized when working with youth ages 9- 14. Suggestions are made utilizing a case example for Group Reality Play Therapy with youth in a middle school setting.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Describe and revise the RePT model to include use with small groups of youth.
  • Provide specific information on small group reality play therapy activities.
  • Discuss a case example on how reality play therapy activities might look with a small group in a school setting.
Speaker(s):
Play Therapy in South Korea: History, Current Practices, Research, and Future Directions. iconPlay Therapy in South Korea: History, Current Practices, Research, and Future Directions.

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Play Therapy in South Korea: History, Current Practices, Research, and Future Directions.

Credits: None available.

The purpose of this review of the literature is to provide (a) a historical review of play therapy in South Korea; (b) an analysis of the practice of play therapy in South Korea; (c) a summary of play therapy research in South Korea; and (d) recommendations for future directions for play therapy professionals, counselor educators, and researchers in South Korea.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Play Therapy History
  • Seminal and Historically Significant Theories
  • Skills and Methods

Learning Objectives:
  • Describe the history of play therapy in South Korea.
  • Discuss the practice of play therapy in South Korea.
  • Identify research trends of play therapy in South Korea.
Speaker(s):
Examining the Trends of Play Therapy Articles: A 10-Year Content Analysis iconExamining the Trends of Play Therapy Articles: A 10-Year Content Analysis

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Examining the Trends of Play Therapy Articles: A 10-Year Content Analysis

Credits: None available.

The field of play therapy is rapidly growing and has been recognized as an evidence-based practice. As the field continues to grow, there is an increasing need to examine publication trends in this field to better understand areas of strengths and potential for improvements. To accomplish this goal, we conducted a content analysis of play therapy articles that were published within the years 2008–2017. Publication trends revealed seven themes that all articles fell under, with the theory/approach theme having the most articles (44.6%). There were mixed results between research and non-research articles with some topics having more research articles and other topics having more non-research articles. Unfortunately, all topics severely lacked articles with a multicultural focus. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

  • Special Topics

Learning Objectives:
  • Identify the most frequently published topics within the last 10 years in four academic journals.
  • Discuss the number of research vs. non-research articles published within the last 10 years in four academic journals.
  • Discuss the number of multicultural vs. non-multicultural articles published within the last 10 years in four academic journals.
Speaker(s):