The Effectiveness of Play Therapy on Social Skills and Challenging Behaviors of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Authors

  • Mohsen Baryaji Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran.
  • Zahra Dadjou Master of Science in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
  • Somayeh Azarian Master of Science in Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran.
  • Fatemeh Homaei Doctorate in Psychology, Nain Branch, Islamic Azad University, Nain, Iran.
  • Marzieh Razavi Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Morteza Shahi Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63053/ijhes.167

Keywords:

Play therapy; Social skills; Challenging behaviors; Autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Background and Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by serious difficulties in social skills and the occurrence of challenging behaviors. Considering the key role of non-pharmacological interventions in improving the functioning of these children, the present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of play therapy on enhancing social skills and reducing challenging behaviors in children with ASD.

Methods: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included children aged 7–12 years with ASD who attended the “Omid Rahayesh” Autism Specialized Center in Bojnourd in 2025. Thirty children were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group participated in ten sessions of group play therapy. Data were collected using the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) by Gresham and Elliott and the Turgay Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (Turgay DBDRS). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results: The findings indicated that play therapy had a significant effect on improving social skills and reducing challenging behaviors in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The calculated effect size demonstrated a large intervention effect on both dependent variables.

Conclusion: Play therapy can be considered an effective and applicable intervention for improving communication skills and reducing behavioral problems in children with ASD in rehabilitation centers. It is recommended to use this approach alongside other specialized interventions.

References

Barghi, N., Hosseini, A., & Nikakhlagh, M. (2023). The impact of early behavioral interventions on the social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental Psychology Research, 20(2), 43–59.

Dehghanpour, M., Rajabi, H., & Mousavi, F. (2021). The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on social interaction and anxiety reduction in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17(3), 123–140.

Sharifi-Daramadi, J., Kazemi, A., & Ahmadi, F. (2020). Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Gresham and Elliott Social Skills Questionnaire in Iranian children. Journal of Educational Innovations, 19(2), 41–57.

Sahraian, H., Boroumand, M., & Farhadi, N. (2024). Factor analysis and examination of the validity and reliability of the Challenging Behaviors Scale in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Clinical Psychology, 12(1), 85–101.

Sahraian, H., Noori, K., & Jabari, M. (2024). Examining the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy on reducing challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Clinical Psychology, 13(1), 51–66.

Farshi, F., Naderi, M., & Rostami, H. (2024). The effectiveness of DIR/Floortime-based play therapy on social interaction and self-regulation in children with autism disorder. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, 11(1), 23–36.

Ghods, R. (2020). The role of group play therapy in improving the social functioning of children with autism. Journal of Psychological Rehabilitation, 8(2), 75–90.

Mirzadeh, S., Noori, K., & Bagheri, F. (2020). The effectiveness of group play therapy with a role-playing approach on reducing stereotypical behaviors in children with autism. Journal of New Research in Counseling, 18(4), 55–72.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Brown, L., & Johnson, T. (2020). Structured play therapy and social skills enhancement in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(8), 923–931. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13217

Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social Skills Rating System (SSRS): Manual. American Guidance Service.

Panda, P. K., Sharawat, I. K., & Gulati, S. (2019). Play therapy in autism spectrum disorder: Current perspectives and evidence. Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 86(9), 825–832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-019-02937-6

Solomon, R., Van Egeren, L. A., Mahoney, G., Huber, M. S. Q., & Zimmerman, P. (2020). DIR/Floortime™ intervention for young children with autism: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 41(4), 247–256. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000780

Turgay, A. (2004). Development and validation of the Turgay DSM-IV-Based Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49(9), 523–529.

Yang, Y., Zhou, J., & Lu, Y. (2019). Effects of empathy-based play interventions on reducing challenging behaviors in children with ASD. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 91, 103427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103427

Zhou, T., Liu, S., & Li, X. (2022). Cognitive behavioral play therapy to reduce maladaptive behaviors in children with autism: A meta-analytic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 93, 101916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2022.101916

Downloads

Published

2025-10-31

How to Cite

Baryaji, M., Dadjou, Z., Azarian, S., Homaei, F., Razavi, M., & Shahi, M. (2025). The Effectiveness of Play Therapy on Social Skills and Challenging Behaviors of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder . International Journal of New Findings in Health and Educational Sciences (IJHES), 3(3), 12–17. https://doi.org/10.63053/ijhes.167

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2025): IJHES

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

 

You are free to:

  1. Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
  2. Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
  3. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

  1. Attribution - You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  2. No additional restrictions - You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC