Localized Parent-Child Play Therapy Interaction and Decreasing Clinical Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Affected Preschool Children

Objective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers usually decreases their academic performance and disrupts parent-child interactions. The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of localized play therapy on preschoolers with ADHD. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and control group. Using a multi-stage random sampling method, and considering the inclusion criteria, a total of 24 mothers of preschoolers with ADHD were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of localized play therapy (LPT) while the control group received no training. The instruments for data collection were Vanderbilt ADHD diagnosis parents rating scale (VADPRS) and clinical interviews. Data analysis was conducted using ANCOVA (analysis of covariance). Results: The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the performance of the experimental and control groups at posttest, and upon the follow-up (P=<0.05). Conclusion: LPT has positive effects on clinical symptoms of ADHD in preschool children. Hence, this method can be used to improve the mental health of children with ADHD and their parents.