RPT Assessment & Treatment Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which developmental framework is MOST commonly used to interpret children's play themes during assessment?
- Erikson's psychosocial stages
- Piaget's cognitive development stages (Correct answer)
- Vygotsky's zone of proximal development
- Kohlberg's moral development stages
Correct answer: Piaget's cognitive development stages
Piaget's stages of cognitive development are most frequently applied to interpret the developmental appropriateness of children's play themes during assessment.
Question 2: A 6-year-old repeatedly buries toy animals during free play. The RPT documents this as a play theme. What assessment purpose does this serve?
- Confirming a diagnosis of separation anxiety
- Identifying symbolic communication about the child's inner world (Correct answer)
- Determining the child's intellectual functioning
- Establishing baseline academic readiness
Correct answer: Identifying symbolic communication about the child's inner world
Documenting recurring play themes helps the RPT identify symbolic communication that reflects the child's emotional experiences and inner world.
Question 3: Which parent-report measure is specifically designed to assess trauma symptoms in children ages 3–12?
- Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
- Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) (Correct answer)
- Conners' Rating Scale
- Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC)
Correct answer: Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC)
The TSCYC is a parent-report instrument specifically validated to assess trauma symptoms in young children ages 3–12.
Question 4: When an RPT notices a child avoids all aggressive play materials, this observation is BEST interpreted as:
- A sign of healthy impulse control
- Potentially diagnostically significant and worth exploring further (Correct answer)
- Evidence that the child lacks creativity
- Confirmation that no trauma history exists
Correct answer: Potentially diagnostically significant and worth exploring further
Avoidance of certain play materials may reflect emotional constriction or trauma-related avoidance, making it potentially diagnostically significant and worthy of further exploration.
Question 5: In treatment planning, the term 'proximal goals' refers to:
- Long-term outcomes expected after therapy ends
- Short-term, immediate therapeutic objectives (Correct answer)
- Goals shared with the referring physician
- Community-based support objectives
Correct answer: Short-term, immediate therapeutic objectives
Proximal goals are short-term, immediate objectives that represent early steps toward broader therapeutic outcomes.
Question 6: Which play therapy model relies MOST heavily on formal intake assessment and diagnostic formulation before beginning treatment?
- Child-centered play therapy (CCPT)
- Cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT) (Correct answer)
- Adlerian play therapy
- Jungian sandplay therapy
Correct answer: Cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT)
Cognitive-behavioral play therapy relies most heavily on structured intake assessment and diagnostic formulation to identify target behaviors and plan structured interventions.
Question 7: A school-age child scores in the clinical range on the CBCL's Internalizing Problems scale. This finding is MOST consistent with:
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Anxiety or depression presentations (Correct answer)
- Autism spectrum disorder
Correct answer: Anxiety or depression presentations
Elevated Internalizing Problems scores on the CBCL are most consistent with anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, and withdrawal presentations.
RPT Assessment & Treatment Planning 2
Which developmental framework is MOST commonly used to interpret children's play themes during assessment?