Group Therapy

Group Psychotherapy

Activity and Exercises for parents of children with autism

The aim of group psychotherapy is not directed at attempting to help children to recover from autism , as there is no perfect cure for autism and continued therapy can only bring improvements . The group therapy involving parents is aimed at better integration of the autistic children with their family and the society . The exercises and activities are planned to improve the chemistry between children and the parents and help parents to better manage the needs of their children

The initial

stage is more directed at forging closer relationships among the members and help the leader get individual views and perception of the issues involving their autistic children (a ) Through active listening and facilitating , the leader encourages all the members to actively participate in the process . Even members who want to cooperate and see progress may not be willing to participate as a group (Dreikurs , 1969 . The leader must emphasize on the contributions of relationship to effective therapy and also ensure mutual respect and confidentiality within the group . Thus fostering better relationships within the group is a part of the initial activity , as this can have a direct bearing on the achievement of results . This can be achieved through discussions on the personal experiences , family compulsions opinions etc . from the members and coupled with leader 's recommendations . The purpose of the exercise is to make members feel confident in group working , rather than participate in group therapy unconfident and uncomfortable (b ) The initial stage activity is mainly associated with verbal techniques involving clarification and interpretation of , and is more aimed at fostering relationships and understanding autism and related trends in treatment . Through clarification exercises by group leader parents are taught to identify risks involved in helping their child develop newer skills . The child may even experience pain and confusion while being introduced to developmental strategies . Sudden flapping of hands , jumping are ways in which the child tries to cope up with the new situations , and when such symptoms go unnoticed only worsens the situation (c ) Goal setting is carried out in this initial stage . The primary goals of the session are to improve the sociability and communication abilities of the children . The group also intends to reduce their efforts and strain borne due to their autistic children , without compromising on the needs of their children . Members are also required to fill a questionnaire related to specific child behavior , its frequency , and corresponding stress level caused on parents . Thus behavioral aspects like preferring to play alone , getting frustrated trying to communicate , causing self-harm etc . are rated for frequency and stress on parents

The mid-stage therapy includes more core work directed towards social development of the children . The exercises in the mid-stage therapy is aimed at improving speech , vision , imagination and sociability of the child . The services of professionals and one to one therapy with children may also be necessary in this stage (a ) Using the techniques of mirroring or reflection , parents...