Paper Title
INCORPORATION OF CHILD-CENTERED PLAY THERAPY INTO PRESCHOOL PLAY AREA: INTERPRETATION OF PLAY BEHAVIOR AND TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
Abstract
This study incorporated "child-centered play therapy" into preschool learning center to solve young children’s behavioral problems. Participant teachers had received 18 hours of "child-centered play therapy" training over six weeks. Afterwards, seven and nine sessions of play therapy were given to two children with behavioral problems respectively, and each session took 30 minutes. One teacher conducted play therapy in socio-dramatic play area while the other children were outside for physical exercise. The observation data of the target children's play during play therapy and social behavior in the classroom were collected and analyzed. The first child was developmentally delayed in inclusive education, and he used to shrank from social interaction with other children. He got seven sessions of play therapy, and according to the play themes, they were divided into two stages: hesitancy and exploration stage (1-3 sessions) and creative stage (4-7 sessions). His corresponding social behavior demonstrated from shrinking to protesting, and furthermore fighting for a voice with peers. After the play therapy, the child became confident and had close friends to play with. The second child, at the beginning, did not participate in classroom activities and stayed in a corner by himself. He had nine sessions of play therapy, and according to the play themes, they were divided into four stages: nervous stage (1-2 sessions), attack stage (3-5 sessions), transition stage (6-7 sessions), and creative stage ( 8-9 times). His corresponding social behavior demonstrated from non-participation in activities, to selective participation, and then to full participation.
Keywords - Child-Centered Play Therapy, Free Play, Play Behavior, Social Behavior, Young