| McNab, Lynley |
Ryan and the Yellow Bike: Using Psychodrama in Work with Autistic Children (PDF, 720.8 KB) |
Journal 9 December 2000 |
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The author describes a revolutionary Special Education programming technique designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The approach, known as 'Social Stories' and developed by Carol Gray in Michigan, USA, uses the exceptional visual ability of most children with ASD. A method called 'Comic Strip Conversations' is described where social concepts are described through detailed illustrations. The method helps children with ASD learn about and understand complex social interactions and relationships and to express themselves and their emotions. The issue is discussed with reference to a 9-year-old boy, Ryan, and his struggle to express his feelings about a specially-built yellow bike. |
3 |
2000-12 |
| McNab, Lynley |
Proud to be Apologising (PDF, 73.1 KB) |
Journal 17 December 2008 |
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In New South Wales, high school students who have been suspended from school must attend a suspension resolution meeting with their parents and the school counsellor before they are allowed to return to school. Often, the students who find themselves in this predicament are already disengaged from the school community and feel blamed, shamed and resentful. Their parents, also caught up in the punitive system, are often angry and embarrassed by their child's actions. This paper tells the story of Ahmed, his serious offending, suspension and subsequent return to school. The story is intended to illustrate how psychodramatic action methods can be used with young people to assist them to develop the necessary skills to re-enter their school community with a sense of purpose and belonging, and some ideas about how to repair their relationships with peers. |
1 |
2008-12 |
