Special Needs Schools
Dramatherapy builds skills and confidence in navigating social relationships, developing self-esteem, negotiating often difficult feelings, and engaging with life skills.
Through engaging with specially chosen activities and free play it explores various modalities that help individuals to negotiate their senses, sense of self, feelings, and the social world. Dramatherapy not only utilises creative imagination and structured games, but also the body through appropriate developmental movement and play. Each session is specially tailored to the needs of the individual or group.
Every individual has the opportunity to grow in self-confidence allowing them to make progress in:
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communication skills
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turn-taking
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listening -
creative expression and play
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bodily awareness
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self-esteem
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developing
relationships with peers
Through developing a therapeutic relationship, a person is given the opportunity to further their development in a safe and nurturing environment that focuses on their individual needs.
Working Non-verbally
Individuals are supported in learning about their experience by being responded to in relationship through use of sound, instruments, objects or other materials. The therapist works with this communication focusing on the ways in which the person is able. The therapist often mirrors back the person's actions or sounds, as well as scafolding new interactions, as a way of helping the individual to develop a stronger sense of self, physically in space and emotionally through awareness of feelings.
Bodily Awareness
Developing bodily awareness helps to estabilsh a stronger sense of a whole self, this in turn helps increase self-confidence and an ability to be in relationship to others in the social world.
(please see case example 'Melvyn' at the bottom of the page)
Working alongside the school
The dramatherapist works alongside other members of staff, giving feed back and communicating (in a manner which is appropriate to the confidentiality of the sessions). In this way the most progress is made due to the young person being provided with a consistent network of support, and a reliable environment. A final report (consisting of brief outline of the work, with points of progress) is submitted to the school with any further recommendations.
If you are new to dramatherapy and would like to know more, I offer a FREE staff introductory workshop, please send a request through the Contact page. Thank you.
Please make contact for further information
For Case Study examples please see below.
Excerpt from a piece of 1-to-1 work with a non-verbal boy aged 5 with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, by Tamsin Abrahams (all names have been changed to protect client confidentiality)
"When I first met Melvyn he paced the room, avoided eye contact, and was unable to give his attention to anything for more than a few moments. He appeared anxious and restless. In the second session he regularly approached a mirror that was in the room, making faces. It seemed to me he was seeking self affirmation, and that the mirror felt safer than me. Although we played with other objects, the mirror became a focus. During the time at the mirror I would kneel next to Melvyn and make his facial expressions, this would continue with us side by side. I played alongside him, in an unobtrusive way, mirroring his world through movement, sound and early developmental play. Gradually, over several weeks Melvyn began to turn to face me, interested in my involvement in his play, his world. By week six he began to turn directly to me, seeking out affirmation of his facial expressions from me rather than the mirror, and smiling when he found what he was looking for (himself) in my face. By week eleven Melvyn would gesture for me to come, he would offer me an object or show me his teeth/tongue - Melvyn was beginning to find enjoyment in social interaction."
Excerpt from a piece of 'anger management' group work with 3 boys aged 9-10 with Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD and Speech and Language Disorders, focusing on 1 child in session 10, by Tamsin Abrahams (all names have been changed to protect client confidentiality)
"Ben made paper guns, he took the role of aggressor/hero. I crawled along the ground with him, searching out enemies, before rushing back to defend the base camp (cloths and cardboard had been turned into a secret camp, a place of refuge). Ben jumped up and began to appear to access feelings of anger, muttering and assuming an aggressive posture, I broke into song "Gold finger..." (a James Bond theme tune), Ben immediately smiled and mimed shooting at imaginary enemies. His natural aggressive instincts were able to be channeled into the play. A successful, strong and heroic role model seemed important to Ben, helping him to channel his power into self-confidence and achievement rather than destructive energies. Dramatherapy gave Ben an opportunity to imagine and try out different ways of being, exploring his strength and his need to defend himself in a safe and held environment."