Effect of Sandplay Therapy on Cognitive Development of Educable Mentally Retarded

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of sandplay therapy on cognitive development of educable mentally disabled children. The statistical population of this study included all children with educable mental disability in preschool and children in grades 1، 2، 3 in city of Isfahan. The sample included 32 children (16 boys and 16 girls) who were randomly selected from 2 schools. Then they were randomaly assigned to 2 groups: the experimental and control groups. The material used in this research was: Kay Cognitive Diagnostic Test. A pretest was administered to both the experimental and control groups. Then sandplay therapy employed on experimental group. There post test was administered to both groups at the end of the training. The results analysis of covariance show that sandplay therapy significantly increased cognitive development among the experimental group as compared to the experimental group. The results also showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of Kay Cognitive Diagnostic Test of cognitive development in the experimental and the control group in the post test (P<0. 001)، and that sand play therapy intervention had a significant effect on conceptualization، symbolic thinking، social cognition، visuo_motor perception، attention span and mental_motor speed development (P<0. 001).