Expanding the Playroom: School-Based Treatment for Maltreated Children

Abstract

The aim of this article is to report on a qualitative study of a school-based ecological treatment intervention for maltreated children and to articulate best practice guidelines. Sixty-three interviews were conducted at 6, 12, and 18 months with parents, teachers, and therapists of 11 maltreated children, exploring the child's development, the influence of therapy on the family, and the therapist's relationship with teachers and parents. Findings indicated that the treatment was effective in improving the children's emotional, social, and academic functioning. An ecological treatment approach requires team building which in turn requires flexibility, consultation, and two-way communication between therapists and others. Implications for practice are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• maltreatment
• play therapy
• ecological approach
• school-based treatment
• best practice guidelines

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Hedge Funds Care Canada which provided the grants allowing the children to be treated, and the Child Psychotherapy Foundation of Canada, which initiated, funded, and coordinated the project. We would also like to acknowledge the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), which funded the evaluation of the treatment. We thank the children and their parents, the teachers and the therapists and the Toronto District School Board.