This study is to improve the interaction between a mother and a developmentally delayed young child. A program utilizing theraplay was developed and its effectiveness was evaluated in both the intervention room and at home.
The subjects of this study...
This study is to improve the interaction between a mother and a developmentally delayed young child. A program utilizing theraplay was developed and its effectiveness was evaluated in both the intervention room and at home.
The subjects of this study were three 4 to 5 year old developmentally delayed children and their mothers at Child Intervention and Counseling Center, Pusan National University.
The children were selected by using interviews, social maturity test and Korean ABACUS. The effectiveness of the program was determined by observations of individual interactional intervention-target behavior, structured parent-child interaction assessments, and parent-child free play assessments.
Frequency analysis and percent of occurance were used to calculate the interactional intervention-target behavior in each session and to evaluate the changes in the interactions between mother and child during the program. The program was divided into early, middle and late stage and mother-child interaction at each stage was explained using qualitative analysis.
Trained observers evaluated mother-child interactions in problem solving situations using a structured parent-child interaction assessment tool. The results of a pre-program assessment were compared to the post-program results.
Mother-child interactions during free play situations at home were analyzed by trained observers and the results of their pre-and post-program assessments were compared.
The result of this study are as follows:
First, a program utilizing theraplay was developed to improve mother-child interaction and to promote interaction between the mother and her developmentally delayed child.
The program's theoretical foundation, theraplay, was focused on mother-child interaction, such as attachment formation, relationship to objects, and touch.
The program consisted of an instructional course for mothers and a mother-child theraplay course. The instructional course sessions were 60 minutes long and consisted of 3 activities: lecture, task evaluation, and video-feedback. The lecture provided theoretical background for mother-child interaction, and the task evaluation, video-feedback provided practical information.
Each session of the mother-child theraplay course was 40 minutes and both mother and child participated.
The program was 16 weeks long and consisted of 100-minute weekly meeting at the Child Intervention and Counseling Center, and Group Play Room at Pusan National University.
Second, as a result of the program the frequency of interactional intervention-target behavior between mother and child increased during most situations, although some declines were observed in the middle stage from the early stage. Overall mother-child interactional behavior reflected qualitatively positive changes during the program.
Third, the degree of pertinence for interaction behavior between a mother and her developmentally delayed child in problem solving situations in the intervention room increased for five types of tasks, such as play behavior , assistance with education, nurturing, assistance with emotional expression and assistance with self-respect.
Fourth, the interaction behavior between a mother and her child increased in four areas at home. These areas were initiative, orientation to play, emotional bonding, and pleasure.
In conclusion, the program developed for this study has been shown to have a positive effect on the interactions between a mother and her developmentally delayed child not only during the program, but also in problem solving situations in the intervention room and during free play at home.