Thesis:

The effectiveness of group play therapy on communication skills and aggressive behavior in hyperactive children aged 5 to 8 years of Neyshabur in 1403-1404 year.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group play therapy on communication skills and aggressive behavior in hyperactive children aged 5 to 8 years in Neyshabur. This study was conducted in the form of a pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design with a control group. Using the available sampling method, 30 hyperactive children in Neyshabur were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 10 sessions of play therapy based on the Maikenbaum approach. The children's scores were collected before and after the intervention in both groups according to the Shahim Aggression Questionnaire (2006) and the Gresham and Elliott Social Skills Questionnaire (Parent Version) (1990). The data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance test. The results of the analysis of covariance with a value of F<0.05 showed that group play therapy is effective on communication skills and aggression in hyperactive children. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that play therapy provides hyperactive children with the opportunity to express their inner feelings, learn how to control or suppress aggression, and improve their communication skills. Since children learn skills such as following social rules, how to interact and cooperate with others, and managing negative emotions in interpersonal relationships in group play therapy, using this method to prepare them for entering the social world seems essential.

Keywords: Keywords: group play therapy, communication skills, aggressive behavior, hyperactive children