Effects of Child-Centered Play Therapy Intervention on Disruptive Behavior of Preschool-aged Children

Childhood disruptive behaviors may present difficulties for teachers and parents and be indicative of emotional and social disturbances for children.  This research addressed the need for developmentally appropriate treatments to reduce short- and long-term consequences of disruptive behaviors in preschool-aged children.  Three- and four year-old children with externalizing behavior problems, such as aggression or attention difficulties, received child-centered individual play therapy (individual CCPT) and child-centered group play therapy (group CCPT).  The results of this single-case design analysis indicated two out of three children showed remarkable improvement during the intervention, specifically at the onset of group CCPT.