CAROLE IS A nine-year old girl with Asperger’s Syndrome, who finds it difficult to express and contain her feelings. She attends a mainstream primary school and is struggling to stay in class and make friends. There have also been difficulties in her family, impacting on her heavily. Roundabout’s dramatherapist worked with her for two terms, using a range of dramatherapy techniques, such as working with puppets and story-making.

THROUGH REGULAR dramatherapy sessions, Carole developed confidence and trust, in herself, the dramatherapist and the process. She became more self-aware and, which is particularly difficult for girls with Asperger’s Syndrome, more able to explore and articulate her thoughts and feelings.

CAROLE CONSISTENTLY expressed her enjoyment of the dramatherapy sessions.  She said that the sessions helped her with her worries and to ‘feel better’ and ‘calmer’. Carole’s mother said that she noticed that Carole talked more about her feelings at home and was more confident and less anxious. Carole’s teacher has seen an increase in Carole’s confidence in the classroom and a decrease in withdrawn behaviour and anxiety.

Photo credit: Norma Desmond on VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA