Social Skills, Emotional Growth and Drama Therapy explains and illustrates a clinically-proven approach to social and emotional development which is rooted in the concepts and practices of drama therapy. It presents an engaging and playful drama therapy program which encourages children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to interact and connect with others, leading to the development of important social, emotional, and expressive language skills.The author presents a series of vignettes which demonstrate how drama therapy techniques may be used with children with ASD, and the impact they may have on their ability to interact and connect with others. Providing useful background information on the causes and various treatments of ASD, with particular emphasis on the latest research into mirror neurons, he describes how to set up and run a thirty-session drama therapy program for children with ASD, using techniques such as guided play, drama games, sociometry, puppetry, role-play, video modelling, and improvisation. His explanations draw on examples from his own practice, demonstrating how the sessions might play out and the kind of results that might be expected. Useful information about the kinds of spaces, props and equipment needed is also provided.This book will be of interest to drama and creative arts therapists, as well as teachers, school psychologists, counsellors and other professionals who work with children with autism spectrum disorders.
Foreword. Introduction: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Part I. 1. Dramatic Encounters. Matthew. Jason. Kenny. Billy. David. Janet. 2. Engaging the Pervasive Developmental Disorders. The diagnoses. Possible causes. Treatment approaches. Developmental considerations. Positive intervention. Back through the looking glass. 3. Drama: Mirroring the Neurological Soul. Reflection for the ages. Drama is therapy. Process reflective enactment. Theatre, drama and PDD children. Part II. 4. Constructing a Drama Therapy Approach to Social Skills. Space and materials. Roles of leadership. Group protocols and interventions. Process-oriented social skills: Three layers of engagement. Revisiting Aristotle. 5. Recognition: Establishing Roles. Orientation. Session 1:Naming names. Session 2: Greeting others/saying hello. Session 3: Listening and responding to greetings. 6. Unity: Building Ensemble. Session 4: Finding myself. Session 5: Noticing others. 7. Character: Reflecting Goodness and Appropriateness. Session 6: Sharing my world. Session 7: Finding matches. 8. Plot: Organizing Events. Session 8: Working and playing together. Session 9: Lights! Camera! Action! Putting it all together. Session 10: Movie day. 9. Diction and Reasoning: Social Scripting, Facial Cues and Body Language. Session 11: Reunion and reconnection. Session 12: Interpreting and responding to nonverbal cues. Session 13: On the right track: Building conversation. 10. Complication and Resolution: Interactive Language Skills. Session 14: The right words at the right place at the right time. Session 15: Stay to play or walk away? Sessions 16-17: Director's Chair: Asserting social language and solving problems.11. Comedy and Plot: Broadening Perspectives and Constructing Solutions. Session 18: What's so funny? Session 19: Lights! Camera! Action! Putting it all together again. Session 20: Movie day the sequel. 12. Actions and Life: Simulating Events. Session 21: My story. Session 22: How to be a real winner. Session 23: Calling all friends! Session 24: Out to lunch. Session 25: Roll with it. 13. Reversal: Individualized Scripting. Sessions 26-28: Power videos. 14. Episodic Outline: Tools for Reflection and Celebration. Session 29: Yearbooks. Session 30: Sharing memories. 15. Reflections: I See You. References. Index.
'Lee Chasen brilliantly connects current brain research with the challenges of autism to demonstrate why drama therapy works neurologically and practically as a powerful, motivating therapy for children and youth on the autism spectrum...Pragmatic and playful, Social Skills, Emotional Growth and Drama Therapy is a valuable resource able to be replicated successfully by other clinicians. I know that I will use it!'- Sally Bailey, Past President of the National Association for Drama Therapy and Director of the Drama Therapy Program at Kansas State University
