Keywords: Dance/movement therapy, autistic children, kinaesthetic, proprioceptive activity, mirroring, rhythmic interaction, object relations
Page #: 12
This article offers a description of a therapeutic program for children with autism offered within the special school setting. Dance movement therapy was found to be an effective tool for engaging with these children’s otherwise ‘closed-off and confused’ worlds. A brief introduction to the features of autism is followed by a discussion of the program and therapeutic interventions offered. These include tactile activities to assist development of body image, mirroring as a means of engaging non-verbally as assisting development of movement patterning and behaviours. Rhythmic interaction is also discussed as a tool that assists in building object relations.
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