Skip to content
1981
Volume 35, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0263-0672
  • E-ISSN: 2157-1430

Abstract

Stories are vehicles for understanding, expressing and communicating concepts important to individual and cultural identity. In autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) pretence and the ability to act ‘as if’ is impaired. Might Dramatherapy, through stories, have potential, not only to teach, practise and improve social skills and functioning but also offer an imaginative frame to enable processing of personal psychological material? A 10 session Dramatherapy group was evaluated in a special school. ‘Theory of Mind’ tests were completed. Qualitative methodology was used to structure the investigation. Three students with ASD were recruited. In the group, all engaged in imaginative play and used imaginative structures in stories. All completed the group and completed the Theory of Mind tests correctly. All in the group were able to use stories in the Dramatherapy group. These data refute the hypotheses of an absolute inability to pretend and ability to use story, inherent in some constructions of autism. All clients were able to use their imagination through story and all underwent a journey. This study suggests that Dramatherapy using stories presents a real and exciting set of possibilities for engaging young people with ASD in a positive therapy, likely to benefit their emotional, psychological and social development.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1080/02630672.2013.772456
2024-06-06
2026-04-22

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Baron-CohenS. (1985). Does the autistic child have a ‘Theory of Mind’?. Cognition 21, 385395.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Baron-CohenS. (1989). The autistic child’s theory of mind: a case of specific developmental delay. Journal of child psychiatry and psychology 30, 285289.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. BhattacharyyaA. (1997). Historical backdrop. K.N. Dwivedi, ed. The therapeutic use of stories London: Routledge In.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. CampbellJ. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. CasbyM. (2003). The development of play in infants, toddlers and young children. Communication disorders quarterly 24, 163174.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. ConnC. (2007). Using drama with children on the autism spectrum Milton Keynes: Speechmark.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. CrimmensP. (2006). Drama therapy and storymaking in special education London: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. De AstisG. (1997). Thoughts about the development of a potential space in the psycho-analytic treatment of infantile psychosis. Journal of child psychotherapy 23, 351371.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. FeinG.G. (1984). The self-building potential of pretend play or ‘I got a fish, all by myself’. Child’s play: developmental and applied YawkeyT. PellegriniS. Hillsdale, MI: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 125141In.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. FongayP. TargetM. (1996). Playing with reality: 1. theory of mind and the normal development of psychic reality. International Journal of psycho-analysis 77, 217233.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. GersieA. KingN. (1990). Storymaking in education and therapy London: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. GregoryR.L. (1977). Psychology: towards a science of fiction. The cool web, the pattern of children’s reading MeekM. London: Bodley Head 439441In.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. HarrisP. (1994). Understanding pretence. Children’s early understanding of mind: origins and development LewisC. MitchellP. Hillsdale, MI: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 235259In.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Jones, R. 1996. Emerging patterns of literacy: a multi-disciplinary perspective, London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Klein, M. 1929. Personification in the Play of Children. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 10:193–204.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. McNiffS. (1998). Art-based research London: Jessica Kingsley.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. PernerJ. WimmerH. (1985). ‘John thinks that Mary thinks that …’: attribution of second order beliefs by 5- to 10-year old children. Journal of experimental child psychology 39, 437471.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. RubinE. LennonL. (2004). Challenges in social communication in Asperger Syndrome and high functioning autism. Topics in language disorders 24, 271285.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. RycroftC. (1985). A critical dictionary of psychoanalysis London: Penguin.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. SherrattD. PeterM. (2002). Developing play and drama in children with autistic spectrum disorder London: David Fulton Publishers.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. WhiteheadM. (1997). Language and literacy in the early years London: Paul Chapman.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. WimmerH. PernerJ. (1983). Beliefs about beliefs: representation and constraining function of wrong beliefs in young children’s understanding of deception. Cognition 13, 103128.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. WingL. (1981). Asperger’s syndrome: a clinical account. Psychological medicine 11, 115129.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. WingL. AttwoodA. (1987). Syndromes of autism and atypical development. Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders CohenD. DonellanA. New York: Wiley 319In.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. WolfbergP. (1995). Enhancing children’s play. Teaching children with autism: strategies to enhance communication and socialization QuillK. New York: Delemar 193218In.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1080/02630672.2013.772456
Loading
  • Article Type: Other
Keyword(s): autistic spectrum disorder; Dramatherapy; group; Theory of Mind
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test