Psychiatrists can learn an incredible amount about a child's history, average day, and past treatments by engaging in imaginative play with them or just providing pleasant distractions while they talk.
Interviews that include play can also provide insight into a child's strengths and challenges long before any formal testing is needed.
It's common for child psychiatrists to have a range of toys available. Considering that child psychiatrists often see children as young as four years old, their toy toolkits will range from those targeted to infants and toddlers, to advanced toys that can easily entertain a college student.
Child psychiatrists will frequently observe and note what toys, films, and interaction styles are most comfortable for a child. Additionally, any differences in preferences between types of toys can be very informative. For instance, if a child is comfortable with advanced card or strategy games, but prefers to read simpler books, it could indicate that their struggles focus around particular issues and are not global.
All of these observations can then be brought back to the child's legal guardian, to help inform treatment planning.
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