Pages: 8-15

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the group play therapy with a behavioral approach on social skills and behavioral problems of children with Down syndrome. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design and control group. The study population comprised children with Down syndrome aged (10-20) years (junior and high schools) in Rasht enrolled in academic year 2015-2016; out of them, a sample of 24 children were selected using random sampling and assigned randomly into two experimental and control groups. Social skills and behavior problems scale (Gresham Elliott, 1990) was used for measurement. The training program was a self-made game adapted from 2 articles and was conducted for 12 sessions for 2 months for the experimental group. Data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the two control and experimental groups in post-test in terms of social skills. Therefore group plays training increases social skills in children with Down syndrome; however, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in behavioral problems in the in the post-test. Group play did not therefore reduce behavioral problems in children with Down syndrome.