Understanding and Providing Interventions for Interpersonal Conflicts Experienced by Children with Developmental Disorders

Abstract

Interpersonal conflict exhibited by children and therapists’ interventions were examined in 64 therapists who supported 36 children with developmental disorders through group psychotherapy. The children were supported by a main-therapist and sometimes a co-therapist every second week. The therapists were asked to provide an estimate of the children’ s conflict-related behaviors at every group psychotherapy session. Based on these estimates, the children were statistically categorized into four groups: “Normal interaction group”,“Active interaction group”,“Self-centered interaction group”, and “Passive interaction group”. Thereafter, the therapists were asked to complete questionnaires regarding the interventions provided when the children experienced interpersonal conflict with peers. Two conditions of interpersonal conflict emerged in children with developmental disorders: 1） “difficulty with impulse control”and 2） “difficulty in being considerate toward others”. There were significant differences between these conditions in terms of the frequency and quality of behaviors during interpersonal conflicts with peers. The therapists found that self-centered children had more difficulties with impulse control and in being considerate toward others, and passive children had more difficulty being considerate toward others. The therapists selected their interventions based on the children’ s specific behaviors. For example, accepting the children’ s feelings and assisting to improve the children’ s inter-personal relationships. Additionally, they attempted to support children’ s interactions with peers, even when concerns were present regarding discrepancies between ideal interventions and interventions actually implemented.