The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy on Sensory Processing and Social Interactions of Children with Autism
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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT) on sensory processing and social interactions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 children diagnosed with ASD, recruited from autism centers in Tehran. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 15), which received CBPT, or the control group (n = 15), which received no intervention. The intervention consisted of ten 90-minute CBPT sessions, conducted over five weeks. Sensory processing and social interactions were measured at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and a five-month follow-up using the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) and the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS). Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Bonferroni post-hoc test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27.
Findings: The results indicated significant improvements in sensory processing and social interactions in the experimental group compared to the control group. Sensory processing scores increased from a pre-test mean of 45.87 (SD = 6.34) to 52.41 (SD = 5.92) at post-test, with a slight decrease to 50.23 (SD = 6.11) at follow-up. Social interaction scores also improved significantly, from a pre-test mean of 38.45 (SD = 5.24) to 46.78 (SD = 5.12) at the post-test, and maintained a follow-up score of 44.92 (SD = 5.18). ANOVA results showed significant time effects for both variables (p < .05), and post-hoc analyses confirmed sustained improvements.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that CBPT is an effective intervention for improving sensory processing and social interactions in children with ASD. The intervention had immediate benefits, with partial retention of gains over time, emphasizing the need for ongoing support and follow-up interventions.
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