Re-looking at my research Question

After consulting with Prof Ananda, these are few points I need to reconsider:

1) How do I get the respondents who have been identified as to have traumatized?  Abuse cases are identified in hospitals but according to Maznah, it is hard to get their parents' consent for research.  Secondly, the clients are not compliant to their therapy.  Many stopped attending therapy after a few sessions.  Many drop outs

Hence, I need to refine my population from traumatized children to children with behavioral and emotional problems in pre-school settings ( need to look for Anson to check if I could conduct research at her centre or Voon Yee?)

How do I START?

Maybe I can start of with today's news on children involved in disciplinary cases:

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/03/22/6000-cases-with-criminal-elements-in-schools-in-2017/

At the dewan rakyat
Reports by HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM, HANIS ZAINAL and TARRENCE TAN

MORE than 6,000 disciplinary cases with criminal elements have been recorded in schools across the country last year, says the Education Ministry.

According to data from the ministry’s students discipline system, a total of 6,917 disciplinary cases with criminal elements were recorded in primary and secondary schools.

“Out of this, 5,934 cases took place in secondary schools while 983 cases occurred in primary schools,” said the ministry in a written reply.

The ministry was replying to a question by Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Zahari (BN-Setiawangsa) on the statistics of criminal cases committed by students in schools last year and whether the curriculum for Moral Studies was still relevant.

The ministry said it has carried out a curriculum transformation for Moral Studies last year, aimed at Year One and Form One students, to ensure that the subject was still relevant in the 21st century.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/03/22/6000-cases-with-criminal-elements-in-schools-in-2017/#AMh7tsvoj068I52i.99

Near to 7000 cases with criminal elements in schools were reported in 2017.  983 cases occurred in primary school.  This implies that an average of 81.9 cases reported per month.

Forming of concepts

1st attempt














                                               Second attempt

Child Symptom Inventory

The Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4) is a behavior rating scale that screens for DSM-IV emotional and behavioral disorders in children between 5 and 12 years old. 

By Kenneth D. Gadow, Ph.D. and Joyce Sprafkin, Ph.D.


Click here for CSI-4's website.


I wonder whether our play therapists are using CSI-4 or similar instruments for assessment and evaluation purposes.

Comprehensive Rating Scales for ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Anxiety and Depressive Disorders, Autism, and other DSM-5 Disorders in Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Play Therapy Malaysia and Trainings

CAE is providing training on play therapy in Malaysia.

https://cae.my/certified-play-therapist/

It listed down the core subjects covered in the training.

Directory of Play Therapist in Malaysia and Art Therapists in Singapore

I received a reply from Karen Koh, a registered Art Therapist from Singapore.

She has introduced me to the Art therapists group in Malaysia and the contact person is Saw Kooi Bee.

https://www.anzata.org/RG-Asia

I need to write to Saw Kooi Bee to find out more who are other Art therapists in Malaysia.


On the other hand, there is a list of directory for the Singapore group.  http://www.atas.org.sg/therapist-directory.html

At a glance, I am able to spot a few art therapists who have interests/specialized in trauma.  It will be good to include them in the research if my studies cover Singapore.

How Play Therapists Integrate Knowledge of Attachment Theory Into Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory

Yesterday during my research methods class, I found this PhD thesis done by a student in U of New Orleans in 2015.

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3072&context=td

Glad to be able to see how to do conduct a research using grounded theory.

I need to do more findings on theories that are link to creative arts and play therapy.

1) Attachment theory - John Bowlby

2) Margaret Lowenfeld - use of NON-Verbal approach. 
The use of toys, sand (aka World Technique), mosaic (as part of the assessment during first assessment and last session).  
and use of SENSORIAL experiences -- Touch is essential
Proto-system thinking theory

3) Donal Winnicott-Object Relations Theory