Empowering Exceptional Children

Empowering Exceptional Children

Comparative of the Effectiveness of Floortime Play Therapy and the Son-Rise Program on Family Developmental Functioning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Iman Shahbazi 1
Seyedeh Olia Emadian 2
1 Master of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sari Branch Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
10.22034/ceciranj.2025.488513.1919
Abstract
The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Floortime play therapy and the Son-Rise Program on family developmental functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This quasi-experimental research employed a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of children diagnosed with ASD in Sari, Iran, during the year 2020. The sample included 45 children with ASD, selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: a control group (n = 15; 9 girls and 6 boys), an experimental group receiving Floortime play therapy (n = 15; 10 girls and 5 boys), and an experimental group receiving the Son-Rise Program (n = 15; 9 girls and 6 boys). Data were collected using the Greenspan Family Developmental Functioning Questionnaire (2007). The results indicated that both interventions had positive effects; however, Floortime play therapy was significantly more effective. Specifically, in the subscale of engagement in human relationships, Floortime showed a greater impact with a mean difference of 2.50 compared to the Son-Rise Program. In the subscale of reciprocal interaction, Floortime outperformed with a mean difference of 3.00. Additionally, in the subscale of joint social problem-solving, Floortime demonstrated superior efficacy with a mean difference of 1.80. These findings highlight the potential of Floortime play therapy to enhance family developmental functioning and improve the quality of life for children with ASD. The results may serve as a foundation for future research and the development of innovative therapeutic programs in this field.
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Family Developmental Functioning
Floortime Play Therapy
Son-Rise Program

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 12 November 2024
  • Revise Date 13 April 2025
  • Accept Date 30 April 2025