The Comparison of the Effects of Filial Therapy and Theraplay on Anxiety in Children with Hearing Impairment

The present study aims to compare the effects of Filial Therapy and Theraplay on anxiety in children with hearing impairment. This study was a quasi-experimental research with pre-test, post-test design and control group. 39 children were selected by convenient sampling method and they were equally and randomly divided into the two experimental and one control groups (n=13). Out of two experimental groups, one group participated in Filial Therapy in 10 sessions for 90 minutes and the other participated in Theraplay in 10 sessions for 40 minutes, while the control did not participate in these programs. The Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (2001) was used for assessment of all Participants. The research data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance. The findings showed that the Filial Therapy and Theraplay had a beneficial and significant effect on anxiety in children with hearing impairment (P<0.05). Also, the results showed that there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of Filial Therapy and Theraplay in term of anxiety and its subscales (P>0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded from the findings of this study that Filial Therapy and Theraplay programs have an important role in decreasing anxiety in children with hearing impairment.