1. Transforming Our Youth
Jessica Clark and Lindsey Sitz

2. OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To create a unique and effective behavioral modification program utilizing a variety of therapy techniques that appeal to children and allow for growth in the areas of respect, responsibility, and the ability to cope with emotions.
OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Jessica

3. Is Talk Therapy Adequate?
Children may have a difficult time articulating their feelings into words (Johnson, 2000)
Hands-on activities engage the tactile senses and allow for unconscious exploration (Camilleri, 2007)
Lindsey

4. Therapeutic Techniques
Sandplay
Horticultural
Butterflies
Recycling Contest
Art projects
Worry dolls
“Color my world”
Lindsey

5. Sandplay Cockle (1993) -Evokes emotions
-Beneficial for children with problems in coping
Jessica

6. Plants & Animals in Therapy
Master Gardener Project (Alexander, 1995)
Pocket Pets (Flom, 2005)
Lindsey

7. Methods Participants Baseline Coding Implementation
Control versus experimental group
Baseline Coding
Implementation
Post-intervention Coding
Jessica
Participants-
-Demographics= 5 children, Age, Gender,
-Recruitment and permission slips
-recruitment for control group
-Assigned code names to protect identity
-they were made aware they could leave the program at any time, as were their parents
Baseline Coding- Through a class of Professor O’Donnell’s last semester, we recruited two volunteers that agreed to observe the children. We agreed to pay them 50 dollars each for their time. They came with us to the club to observe the children from both the experimental and control groups about three times a week, and were provided with coding sheets to use during coding. They were asked to look for behaviors such as the ones shown in this table.
The coders were able to establish 100% inter-rater reliability before the start of coding. They were also unaware of the group each child had been assigned to.

8. Circle of Trust
A confidentiality contract signed by each of the participants:
“Everyone involved in T.O.Y. is part of a circle of trust. We will share things and hear things that are private. By signing this paper I agree that I _____________ am a part of this circle of trust. I agree to keep all things discussed during T.O.Y. to myself in order to keep the T.O.Y. environment safe and fun.”
Lindsey
Done at the beginning
Stated: read from slide
Participants understood and took seriously that they should not repeat other people’s private business to peers outside of the program. An example was made to help the children understand what would consist of inappropriate sharing.

9. “Sticker Pets” Jessica
Reward system to encourage good behavior during sessions. Based on individual and group contingencies.

10. Reflections from the Participants
My favorite part of T.O.Y. was…
“Making worry dolls.”
“Learning about bullies.”
“Going on the trash hunt.”
Lindsey

11. What I learned from T.O.Y…
“Competitions for fun.”
“Being a better person.”
“How to keep calm.”
LIndsey

12. Suitcases
LIndsey

13. Reflections from the Researchers
Lindsey
Discussion about Disabilities
Jessica
Recycling Contest
Developmentally Appropriate Game (Reddy, 2001)
Jessica

14. Limitations Participants Coders not formally trained
Coding time was cut
Attendance
Lack of control
Jessica

15. Suggestions for Future Research
Randomized selection of participants OR
T.O.Y. with a group of students with the same presenting problem
Male co-leader, more male friendly activities
Better limit-setting
Reformulating “Plants”
Lindsey & Jessica

16. References
Alexander, J., & Others, A. (1995, June 1). Master gardener classroom garden project:
An evaluation of the benefits to children. Children's Environments, 12(2), 256-
263.
Camilleri, V. (2007). Healing the inner city child: Creative arts therapies with at-risk youth. London
England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from PsycINFO database.
Cockle, S. (1993). Sandplay: A comparative study. International Journal of Play Therapy, 2(2), 1-17.
Flom, B.L. (2005). Counseling with pocket pets: Using small animals in elementary counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 8(5),
Johnson, D. (2000). Creative therapies. Effective treatments for PTSD: Practice guidelines from the
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (pp ). New York, NY US:
Guilford Press. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from PsycINFO database
Reddy, L.A., Spencer, P., Hall, T.M., & Rubel, E. (2001). Use of developmentally appropriate games in a child group training program for young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In A.A. Drewes, L.J. Carey, & C.E. Schaefer (Eds.), School-Based Therapy (pp ). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

17. lindsey
Color My World

18. Worry Dolls