The Effectiveness of Play Therapy on Reducing Social Anxiety in Children Aged 9–11 with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of play therapy in reducing social anxiety and its components among children aged 9–11 with autism spectrum disorder. This applied, quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of children aged 9–11 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in Sari, from whom 30 participants were selected through simple random sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 16 sessions of play therapy (45 minutes each), while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Jarbak Social Anxiety Questionnaire (1996) and analyzed through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using SPSS version 24. ANCOVA results indicated that play therapy had a statistically significant effect on reducing fear of open spaces (F=58.33, p<0.001), separation anxiety (F=146.61, p<0.001), fear of physical harm (F=138.57, p<0.001), social fear (F=195.99, p<0.001), and general anxiety (F=57.43, p<0.001) in children with autism spectrum disorder. The findings demonstrate that a structured play therapy program can effectively reduce social anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder and facilitate their readiness for social participation.