Assessment and therapy with children: Can computers help?

The use of computers in assessment and therapy with children is a relatively new field and one in which there is little research. This article reports on the development of a computer-assisted interview for children and the potential applications of this type of approach to helping children describe their experiences. The computer medium offers a number of important advantages in work with children: (i) its novelty and appeal for the child; (ii) the opportunity that it provides to take the focus of interaction off the one-to-one relationship of child and interviewer, introducing a shared external focus for attention and reducing stress on the child; and (iii) the controllability and structuring of the setting, both for the child and interviewer. The development of a computer-based interview format is described, as are pilot studies of the properties of the program. The use of the program in forensic, child care and therapeutic settings is discussed, together with its applicability to a range of forms of disability.