Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy and Narrative Therapy on the Social Adjustment of Students with Educable Intellectual Disability (EID)

The present study intended to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral play therapy and narrative therapy on the social adjustment of students with Educable intellectual disability (EID). 

  This was a quasi-experimental research design with pretest, posttest, and a control group. The statistical population included all EID students studying in the elementary schools of Tabriz City in 2020-2021; out of whom 45 male students were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (15 each). Data were collected using Sinha & Singh’s Adjustment Inventory for school students. For this purpose, first, a pre-test was administered to all groups. Then the first experimental group received play therapy for eight sessions of 45 minutes, and the second experimental group received narrative therapy for eight sessions of 45 minutes. After that, the post-test was administered to all groups.

  The covariance analysis results showed a significant difference between cognitive-behavioral play therapy and narrative therapy comparing to the control group in adjustmen. Also cognitive-behavioral play therapy had stronger effects than narrative therapy in increasing adjustment.

  Narrative therapy and cognitive-behavioral play therapy can be utilized as complementary interventions for training adjustment and ameliorating the psychological problems of students with EID.