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Post by flowerpower on Feb 19, 2014 16:57:51 GMT
Myself and our daughters went to what is normally a monthly adoption support day but due to it being half term they did it as a theraplay session both girls really enjoyed it and I also picked up a few new theraplay ideas that we had not tried before was just wondering what others thought about this kind of sessions xxx
We have two girls they are both 5 now and have been with us since nov 2011 FP xxx
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Post by donatella on Feb 19, 2014 18:24:32 GMT
Our LA funded a package of support for us when middly was younger. Theraplay was part of it. Me, dh, middly and two therapists. It helped enormously. It helped his attachment to us and gave us lots of strategies to use with him. All in favour here!
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Post by mudlark on Feb 19, 2014 20:29:12 GMT
We have lapwing and peewit placed with us in November last year aged 4 and 3. We have weekly sessions with a therapist who work with us ( not the children) in therapeautic parenting and often involves discussions around theraplay. The ideas for theraplay sound deceptively simple, however implementing them effectively actually involves some patience and skill. I have been trying now for 2 months to use theraplay daily, even if only for 10 minutes, (it's much easier to do with peewit aged 3) and the results have been good. Peewit has avoidant attachment style but through theraplay has improved significantly. Lapwing has ambivalent and disorganised attachment style and is the more complex child but even she has responded well to theraplay when I can sneak it into our play together. I given myself the challenge of just 10 mins per day with each of an intense theraplay game and days when I can do this or for longer I see and feel the benefit to us all as a family not just the individual child.
I have found that although you can download a list of theraplay games, it's helps to adapt them or make up your own to suit your childs particular personality or interests. My own favoured one for Peewit is where I say..ok lets test your body's working...he lies down and I start with his toes asking him to say oooo or eeee or ahh if he feels me gently squeezing...move to legs...counting ribs..until I end with his eyes looking straight into them asking him to blink at me...then I start to sing to him...he began by being uncomfortable with this, but now looks forward to this little ritual and can now hold eye contact at close range while I sing and stroke his hair.
Long post.....but just to say yes....I think theraplay can really help unlock children from their trauma.
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Post by flowerpower on Feb 21, 2014 9:09:43 GMT
The one we went to was a group session children and parents the SW started the session by telling all the children that they all had something in common ie you are all adopted and from that she got compleat silence I felt like the kids were thinking that is our story not yours and the silence said it all
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Post by sockthing on Feb 21, 2014 10:17:18 GMT
We are waiting to find out if our SS will fund Theraplay for kipper.
Interested to read your experience Mudlark. Our PASW has tried to show me a few Theraplay games but she has shown me in front of Kipper, which hasn't been ideal as Kipper sensed that it was all a very unnatural way to initiate play I.e. Strange woman in charge in our house, instead of mummy, and was refusing to engage. She was very strict with him about getting him to comply with the rules of the game, and he was starting to get a bit stressed. It all felt very artificial and to be honest I've found other silly games I've made up with him better at engaging him closely eg - me pretending that his body is a telephone, cradling him and talking into his foot, and listening to a "reply" at his hair, and dialling buttons on his tummy.
How is Theraplay supposed to work then, is it more usual to be taught without the children there?
Donatella, how did DS cope with the control aspect of Theraplay - as I understand it Theraplay is about getting the child to learnt to relinquish control in a fun way, but how realistic is that with a child with an ASD?
At not even 4 he struggles a bit with rules of normal games anyway (eg snakes and ladders, turn taking etc. ).
Flowerpower sounds like you had a different experience again!
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Post by donatella on Feb 21, 2014 13:27:58 GMT
It was challenging! And it took months before he started to let others lead but the play was initially led by the therapists and maybe because they were initially in charge, ie demonstrating, it was a little easier. He still tried to take charge but wasn't allowed to. It was all done very playfully. And when it was competitive it was all three competing together, ie batting a balloon around - he was as reliant on us as we were on him to keep the balloon in the air. He still can't play games where there's a winner or loser though!!
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Post by threelittlechicks on Feb 28, 2014 8:11:59 GMT
We did a Safebase course about 4 years ago and they were quite big on theraplay ideas which we immediately implemented at home.
They were particularly effective with our youngest who was about 3at the time, but it does generate in her some sort of response that causes her to initially hit out at us. It's not overtly violent (we have they in our family from another chick) and could be understood in her attachment style going through constant "oh this is lovely, now push it away, now I want it back, no go away......"
We don't use it so much now BUT when she is really struggling, regressing, and we can't get through, if you walk into her room with a bag of cotton wool balls you can easily start a snowball fight, which can turn into rubbing moisturiser into her legs. All non verbal, really, and breaks the cycle, so is an excellent tool in the toolkit.
3LC
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Post by mudlark on Feb 28, 2014 21:31:19 GMT
Sockthing, I had a big discussion with our therapist worried that they would find strange woman in the house instructing play just wouldn't work,( as you have shown) they both have attachment disorders we agreed with the therapist that she would work with us without the children. It proves to be so helpful.Both Peewit and Lapwing struggle with rules and formal games...with Lapwing who is really hard to do theraplay with as she is a control freak..( not PC I know) but I made up a game usually played when I am drying her after a bath.. I say..right this is a game....stare at mummy and don't blink...gI count to 2 and she blinks..I laugh...and say while blinking quickly...get rid of all your blinks...I gently hold her face and say ..ok lets try again...her little face is smiling as she stares into my eyes...I can keep this game going for about 5 minutes. I know she likes it because she has said...mummy don't play this with peewit. My own view of Theraplay is that you have to adapt it to suit your own personality and that of your child. We have gone, discuss with therapist every week how things have gone and she helps us to reflect on how we can have new ideas or build upon succeses.
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Post by justbserene11 on Feb 28, 2014 21:49:27 GMT
Not sure this is relevant or not.
My LO is 2 yrs and whilst attending local groups run by surestart (government funded) I was asked what I would like to see run within the local community, so I said theraplay/attachment focused parenting etc. Anyway, I was approached recently and they are now running an eight week course run by a thearpaly threapist (who also trains staff in my daughters pre school). I have accepted the place because I think it will just add to what I already do with my LO already and as it is 'free'....bonus. Yes, other parents may not be other adopters but any guidance is good.
i hope this has helped
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