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Open research questions in Child Therapy and Development

87 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,586 Child Therapy and Development papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • In summary, while AAC interventions for children with ASD and IDD who are MV/NS have begun to integrate play elements, the literature remains sparse regarding expli- cit play-based outcomes.

    A Systematic Review of Play-Integrated AAC Interventions for Minimally Verbal and Nonspeaking Children · 2026 · DOI

  • This anom- aly underscores a critical gap in the literature, as most inter- ventions (e. The influence of choice on communication outcomes was rarely discussed, repre- senting another gap in the literature. outcomes prioritized communication Findings were limited to implementation of AAC interven- tions with a play component across the 14 single-case stud- ies included in this review, almost all of which selected a multiple-baseline or multiple-probe design.

    A Systematic Review of Play-Integrated AAC Interventions for Minimally Verbal and Nonspeaking Children · 2026 · DOI

  • While this review, to our knowledge, is the first to explore the integration of play within AAC interventions and associated communication outcomes, limitations regard- ing article inclusion and coding make future work critic- ally important. Future single-case studies involving AAC may benefit from a stronger emphasis on play. Moreover, future reviews should include group design studies alongside single-case studies.

    A Systematic Review of Play-Integrated AAC Interventions for Minimally Verbal and Nonspeaking Children · 2026 · DOI

  • Based on the findings of this study, several recommendations are proposed for both practice and future research. Given the strong effects of creative drama on early literacy skills, particularly phonological and print awareness, these activities should be systematically and deliberately integrated into early childhood education curricula. Given its substantial impact on social skills—especially emotional regulation, verbal expression, and peer interaction— creative drama activities should be more widely incorporated into preschool instructional practices, and, in this regard, in-service training programs aimed at enhancing teachers’ knowledge and competencies in creative drama should be expanded. Due to its limited effects on pre-writing skills and higher-order abilities such as goal setting, creative drama should be implemented in conjunction with complementary instructional approaches. Furthermore, given the “equalizer effect” identified in the findings, creative drama interventions should be prioritized for children with lower initial performance levels, disadvantaged backgrounds, or developmental risks, as this approach may help reduce early learning disparities. Finally, future research should examine the long-term effects of creative drama interventions through longitudinal designs, involve larger, more diverse samples, and investigate their effectiveness relative to other instructional approaches.

    The Effect of Creative Drama Activities on Preschool Children’s Early Literacy and Social Skills · 2026 · DOI

  • However, limited research has examined the psychological mechanisms underlying engagement in gamified VR sports activities among adolescents with ASD.

    Engagement in gamified virtual reality sports activities and sports participation intention among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: the mediating roles of immersion and enjoyment · 2026 · DOI

  • This study offers a holistic overview of research on outdoor play in children. We pres- ent findings from a rigorous analysis aimed at identifying the core elements of the topic, leading authors and their affiliations, trending topics, and patterns of collabora- tion. The findings are especially relevant in capturing the evolving landscape of this research domain. As such, our results may inform the development of evidence-based policies and contribute to the advancement of scholarship on outdoor play in children.

    Performance analysis and science mapping of outdoor play in children · 2026 · DOI

  • Finally, future research is recommended to collect at least five data per condition to meet the qualitative indicators for single-subject research designs, to design play interventions based on the relationship between cognitive skills and play skills for researchers conducting play research, and to col- lect generalization data in unstructured play environments in play research.

    Play Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Studies · 2026 · DOI

  • According to the results of the research, the following recommendations can be offered: Use of Play Therapy in Clinical Settings: Play therapy is a common intervention that should be incorporated by psychologists and therapists when dealing with children who have ADHD to enhance emotional and behavioral responses. Incorporation in Schooling: To address the needs of children with emotional and behavioral problems, schools ought to implement play-based interventions and counseling programs. Parental Awareness and Training: Parents are to be taught the significance of play in emotional development and they are encouraged to take part in therapeutic play activities at home. Early Intervention: Play therapy can be used to undertake early identification and intervention in order to prevent the onset of severe emotional and behavioral problems.

    Play Therapy and Emotional Regulation in Children with ADHD · 2026 · DOI

  • For PAUD Teachers: Integrate play therapy principles into classroom management and counseling to create a supportive emotional environment. 2. For Parents: Maintain consistency by using structured play at home to stimulate emotional regulation, avoiding repressive responses to tantrums. 3. For Institutions: Develop school-based counseling programs and provide therapeutic play facilities and teacher training. 4. For Future Researchers: Employ true experimental designs with control groups and larger, more diverse samples to enhance the generalizability of these findings. REFERENCES 1) Belden, A. C., Thomson, N. R., & Luby, J. L. (2016). Temper tantrums in healthy versus depressed and disruptive preschoolers: Defining tantrum behaviors associated with clinical problems. The Journal of Pediatrics, 166(3), 779–785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.11.039 2) Bratton, S. C., Ray, D., Rhine, T., & Jones, L. (2017). The efficacy of play therapy with children: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Play Therapy, 26(2), 57–73. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000045 3) Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Wyatt, T. (2015). The socialization of emotional competence. Child Development Perspectives, 9(4), 254–258. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12147 4) Geldard, K., Geldard, D., & Foo, R. (2018). Counseling children: A practical introduction (5th ed.). Sage Publications. 5) Landreth, G. L. (2012). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (3rd ed.). Routledge. 6) Lin, Y. W., & Bratton, S. C. (2021). A meta-analytic review of child-centered play therapy approaches. Journal of Counseling & Development, 99(2), 196–207. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12375 7) Ray, D. C. (2016). Advanced play therapy: Essential conditions, knowledge, and skills for child practice. Routledge. 8) Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (2021). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. National Academy Press. 9) Thompson, R. A., & Steinbeis, N. (2020). Understanding emotion regulation in early development. Developmental Psychology, 56(5), 845–857. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000900 10) Whitebread, D., Basilio, M., Kuvalja, M., & Verma, M. (2020). The importance of play in early childhood development. Early Child Development and Care, 190(5), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1295239 11) Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2021). The power of play in early childhood development: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 148(3), e2021050915. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-050915 12) Badan Pusat Statistik. (2023). Statistik pendidikan anak usia dini Indonesia. BPS. 13) Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi. (2022). Laporan capaian pendidikan anak usia dini. Kemendikbudristek.

    Play Therapy Techniques as an Intervention to Address Tantrums in Early Childhood · 2026 · DOI

  • Although much research has been conducted and regulations are in place that address most physical considerations at play areas, guidelines that facilitate social inclusion for children with ASD and other social disorders are currently lacking.

    Social Inclusion for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Case Study · 2024 · DOI

  • Although studies have demonstrated the intervention effect of sports game and pretend play on children's executive function, few studies have examined the effect of Comprehensive games, and similar studies in children with ASD are scarce.

    A study on the effects of three game intervention programs on executive functions of preschool autistic children · 2023 · DOI

  • Our study suggests that implementing therapeutic recreation activities in 16 sessions is insufficient, with longer-term programmes required to solve problems of emotional adjustment.

    Effects of recreational therapy on emotional adjustment of students with intellectual disabilities · 2022 · DOI

  • Results indicated that music-based interventions can improve social and participation outcomes, such as frequency of responses, initiation of communication, turn-taking, joint attention, and group participation for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and developmental and acquired communication disorders; however, future research is needed to expand the use of varied arts-based interventions targeting a larger breadth of social and participation outcomes.

    Music Improves Social and Participation Outcomes for Individuals With Communication Disorders: A Systematic Review · 2020 · DOI

  • (2014) offers similar findings for undergraduate students; thus, exploring how play therapy skills could enhance students' development of trust in their internal voice and the building of an internal foundation is warranted.

    More Than Play: Benefits of Play Therapy Training for Undergraduates and Implications for Student Affairs · 2020 · DOI

  • Future research is needed to determine effectiveness of SPT interventions for children with disabilities who have more sophisticated functional play skills, as well as utility of creating peer dyads compared with peer triads.

    Implementing Stay-Play-Talk With Children Who Use AAC · 2018 · DOI

  • Although the studies reported in the literature vary widely in hypotheses, methodology, and analysis, although they focused on different aspects of the play phenomenon, and although the emphasis given to each of these research directions differs at various times, the following four overarching research questions have been examined in the psychological study of play.

    Psychological Approaches to the Study of Play. · 2015

  • While there is extensive literature concerned with the application of the ABC debrief with the target group, an ABC debrief with the facilitators of the program is lacking in the applied literature.

    Debriefing Strategies in Adventure Based Counselling · 2002 · DOI

  • Practical use of the PIPPS and further study of developmentally appropriate social competencies for African American Head Start children are discussed.

    Contextually-relevant validation of peer play constructs with African American head start children: Penn interactive peer play scale · 1998 · DOI

  • A better design might have called for the Autism Scale ratings to be made by teachers or other non-treatment sonnel, quite apart Third, tion) and level of attention sures to reflect sizable that the rating scales as devised are too imprecise The fact that attention span and level of atten­ tion scores were non-significant result of mediocre real non-changes scales, unfortunately, were insufficiently oped and pre-tested tion.

    Music Therapy in the Treatment of Autistic Children · 1969 · DOI

  • If it is available, why not publish it, even in part of the 1957 pilot study which was used? this small book is worthwhile reading for anyone involved in dealing with disturbed children, and especially those whose horizons have been limited by a clinical theoretical framework.

    Book Review: Children's Behaviour Disorders · 1969 · DOI

  • The relationship between children's play (games) and other activities and the formation of ideas about nature is an issue that is poorly explored in science and disorganized in practice.

    PLAY AS AN ACTIVITY FOR FORMING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN · 2024 · DOI

  • Future research is required to determine the direction of causality and potential mechanisms that may explain the relation between pretend play and social competence.

    The Value of Pretend Play for Social Competence in Early Childhood: A Meta-analysis · 2024 · DOI

  • Children’s play was recorded in two scenarios, which included free Play (spontaneous Play without any restrictions) and structured toy play (restriction of toy usage limited to the four types of toys provided by investigator), in the classroom settings.

    Development of Play in Pre-Schoolers: Video-Based Analysis of Free and Structured Toy Play Scenario · 2022 · DOI

  • This view persists in spite of evidence that play is helpful and sometimes critical to learning in multiple domains, perhaps because precise mechanisms whereby play occasions learning are not well understood.

    Why play equals learning: Comparison as a learning mechanism in play · 2021 · DOI

  • In preschool educational settings telling stories in the sand offers educators a way of extending children’s narrative by using open questions, dialogues and by developing children’s awareness that story fictional world can be enriched.

    A Cross-Disciplinary Narrative Approach of Sandplay in Preschool Education · 2020 · DOI

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87 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 2,586 Child Therapy and Development papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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