Group play interventions are used to meet a broad range of developmental needs in children from various backgrounds. This book is for mental health practitioners working with children aged 5 through 12 to help them learn important social skills and self-control strategies such as making friends, asking for and offering help, controlling hands and feet, using appropriate words, and managing stress and anger. This book integrates the use of group play interventions and evidence-based cognitive behavioral techniques in child group training.
Author Linda A. Reddy lays out the grounding principles and research of group play interventions and sketches out the most common disorders and symptom sets for which children are referred for group training. She then offers practical suggestions for forming groups and for managing instruction and behavior, as well as a chapter on how to make the most of caregivers' skills and interests to maintain children's progress.
Step-by-step instructions are given for teaching, modeling, organizing, and coaching children through skill sequences and fun, developmentally appropriate games. Detailed lists of preparatory and follow-up actions are also provided, as well as tips on tailoring instruction to children's ages and special needs. Positive interactions are emphasized throughout the book, from parent interviews through implementation and questions for the children post-training.