RPT Assessment & Treatment Planning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) is PRIMARILY used to assess:
- The child's trauma history through narrative
- Parent-child attachment and interaction quality (Correct answer)
- The child's cognitive and academic readiness
- Peer relationship skills in group settings
Correct answer: Parent-child attachment and interaction quality
The MIM is a structured observational assessment used primarily to evaluate the quality of parent-child interactions and attachment patterns.
Question 2: When formulating a play therapy treatment plan, cultural considerations should:
- Be addressed only if the client specifically requests it
- Inform all aspects of assessment interpretation and goal setting (Correct answer)
- Be deferred to a cultural consultant outside the therapy relationship
- Apply only when the therapist and client have different racial backgrounds
Correct answer: Inform all aspects of assessment interpretation and goal setting
Cultural considerations must inform all aspects of assessment interpretation and treatment planning, as they shape the meaning of behaviors, play themes, and therapeutic goals.
Question 3: Which standardized play observation tool uses structured scenarios to assess a child's play developmental level?
- Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
- Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale (Correct answer)
- Parenting Stress Index (PSI)
- Beck Youth Inventories
Correct answer: Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale
The Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale is a standardized observational tool that assesses a child's developmental play level across several dimensions.
Question 4: A treatment plan goal states: 'Child will verbalize one feeling per session by week 4.' This goal is BEST described as:
- Vague and unmeasurable
- Specific, measurable, and time-bound (Correct answer)
- Overly ambitious for early treatment
- Inappropriate for play therapy formats
Correct answer: Specific, measurable, and time-bound
This goal is specific, measurable, and time-bound — three key characteristics of an effective therapeutic objective.
Question 5: During intake, a caregiver describes the child as 'always defiant and never listening.' The RPT's BEST response is to:
- Accept the caregiver's description as the primary diagnostic impression
- Gather specific behavioral examples, frequency, duration, and context (Correct answer)
- Refer the child for a psychiatric evaluation before proceeding
- Reframe the behavior as developmentally normal without further inquiry
Correct answer: Gather specific behavioral examples, frequency, duration, and context
Gathering specific behavioral examples with frequency, duration, and context allows the RPT to conduct a thorough and accurate functional assessment beyond caregiver labeling.
Question 6: Which finding during a play-based assessment would MOST strongly suggest the need for a trauma-focused treatment approach?
- A child who engages in creative pretend play with peers
- A child who repetitively reenacts a frightening event with minimal affect change (Correct answer)
- A child who prefers solitary play over group play
- A child who uses aggressive themes in play that de-escalate over time
Correct answer: A child who repetitively reenacts a frightening event with minimal affect change
Repetitive, frozen reenactment of a frightening event with minimal affect change is a hallmark indicator of traumatic play, pointing toward a trauma-focused treatment approach.
Question 7: The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) is administered during play therapy assessment PRIMARILY to:
- Measure the child's internal emotional regulation capacity
- Identify stress in the parent-child system that may affect treatment (Correct answer)
- Screen the parent for DSM-5 diagnoses
- Determine the child's eligibility for special education services
Correct answer: Identify stress in the parent-child system that may affect treatment
The PSI measures stress within the parent-child system, helping the RPT identify caregiver factors that may contribute to the child's difficulties and affect treatment planning.
RPT Assessment & Treatment Planning 3
The Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) is PRIMARILY used to assess: