Pd with Autism

[mkarp11444 at aol.com]

Hello Claudia,

I don't know if you are working with children or adults. I had some experience working with autistic kids and psychodrama years ago in Toronto at the Centre for Mental Retardation, a diagnostic and treatment center. My memory is that the most effective intervention was doubling each child in a gymnasium. The children I worked with I took into the gym one at a time, followed their movements and voice and repeated it, then escalated it so that eventually the child followed me as I had been following them. It gave the child the awareness that someone else was in the room in relationship with him or her. If I shouted higher then they copied, if I moved my arm wider then they did the same, etc. It took several weeks. We followed each other, validating the presence and expression of the other. 

At the time I was a speech therapist. The non-verbal doubling sessions helped our speech work  as the kids had developed a chase-follow relationship with me in verbal and non-verbal expression. It came and went but definitely developed. Quite a feat with this type of child who often has no awareness of the "other." 

One child hadn't spoken for two years. We worked in clay together. One day the clay was cold and stiff. I asked him to "pull" it with me to soften the clay.  We tried together for a while and then he yelled, "pull, Marcia, pull." His parent's were watching and we were all staggered that he spoke. I think it came from the non-verbal warming up. He/we built on that over the next months. Speech production came with throwing balls, running, jumping, etc. The body in action facilitated the expression.  

Good luck in what you're doing. I do hope you find some written work on the subject.  Marcia Karp
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-----Original Message-----
From: "HV Psychodrama" <hvpi at hvc.rr.com>

Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 05:26:22 
To: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
Subject: Pd with Autism


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