Clarín, March 30, 2008, Supplement Education Note on paper: here.
INTERVIEW WITH ANA SUTTON, play therapists
"The words of the younger ones are toys"
Argentina
psychologist proposes a playful way to stimulate the learning ability of students. Advised that the toys are 'therapeutic', ie that serve to express emotions and feelings. Ruben A.
Arribas
Many children, children affords them a "game" that frightens and usually pass bill after adolescence, adulthood prematurely. These kids are 6, 7, 8 years trying to protect his brother of 3 because dad is drunk. Or take the responsibility to care for his family is poor and the parents are away from home all day. They are also those children who suffer physical or psychological abuse. The case mix is \u200b\u200bwide and difficult childhoods painful as the consequences that they leave.
anxiety, phobia, character hypervigilant, aggression ... These guys have mental illnesses that impair their health and which hinder their potential. Bad behavior, poor grades or difficulty getting along with other classmates often to detect common signs. If you do not work on them, children grow up with fewer tools to solve problems and grow their feelings. Seen in perspective, and especially in extreme cases, during adolescence or young adulthood can get to drown in a glass of water and decide to self-destruct in some way.
For that reason, play therapists emphasize a playful way to stimulate the learning ability of these guys. "Toys are the child's words," says Argentina psychologist Anne Sutton, an expert in this discipline and residing in the U.S.. UU. 40 years. And then clarifies: "Of course, should be therapeutic, ie they must be used to express emotions and feelings." The certificate is important.
"The Barbie doll is not a therapeutic play: a grown woman has a boyfriend, car, considering a career ... Especially for the people I work with, guys -homeless without a true model of father because many have to take care of their siblings, "Barbie sends a conflicting message to them: the child must protect the elderly ... When is the opposite: the child is who should feel protected, "says the founder of Nana's Children, a nonprofit organization that this year will serve about 600 children in 40 schools in Phoenix.
He continues: "One can be a therapeutic toy fire truck, a suitcase or a small kitchen, if children can use them as they happen." That is, if they say that a flying car and use bananas as naphtha, or discussed. In fact, the only rule that governs the game room, and called the place neat, clean and full of toys and child-therapist share is this: "Use any toy that you like here, but you hurt me without hitting me. " And Sutton emphasizes: "If the child wants to break a toy, it breaks: play is their language, and toys are their words, some want to express that."
The twin emphasis on 'words' and 'toys' is not free. Adults attach great importance to verbalize feelings, but boys do not speak the language and its natural way of telling what happens is playing, not talking. Hence this proposed therapy training for psychologists and social workers to learn the language of children. "If the guy says 'I want you to be a princess', the therapist must answer 'How do princess? ". The concept of a princess, police or firefighter's kid is different from the adult, and that is to be discovered, "he reiterates.
Therefore, play therapy is not seeking the discharge, but to create a space for children to develop equal intellectual and emotional peers. "Play is the opposite of work. Nor is an award given to the child when he does something well. Play is a biological necessity, the children learn while they play, and that's their job, "says Sutton. And statement: "So a guy can not play is not a normal guy."
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Seminar in Buenos Aires
mid-March, Anne Sutton gave in Buenos Aires, invited by the Foundation for Studies and Research Processes of Learning (FUNDPEIA), a 3-day training for people interested in play therapy. With your support and the American Association of Play Therapy, FUNDPEIA Argentina intends to implement in a model similar to Nana's Children, the nonprofit organization created by Anne Sutton in 2001. More information: www.nanaschildren.org and www.fundpeia.com.ar .
* Play in the population at risk
"They have no home but living in shelters, motels or lack a permanent nighttime residence," says Anne Sutton, referring to the homeless , the population of children with the hardest working. While Americans do not amount to homeless children in Argentina villas, both situations have in common stocks.
Both are, for example, prisoners of the vicious circle of poverty. According to Sutton, "the parents of the homeless live every day looking for somewhere to sleep, how to get help from the government or something to eat. Many of them see education as their children need something a little more like a nursery than a place to learn. " He adds: "These kids have high levels of anxiety and depression, and can not concentrate on learning."
addition, these children often spend more time with adult responsibilities to play, what prevents them from developing learning mechanisms. So much so that this renowned international expert from the following premise: "The child who is homeless can not play and has no attachment, ie, takes longer to establish a relationship of trust with their therapist." After studying 2 years, the foundation concluded that the emotional stability through play therapy and academic improvement occurs in homeless from sitting 14 th, while the other takes place before the 10 th.
To this disciple of Dr. Charles E. Schaefer, "the first step is to enroll these children in school, play therapy is applicable if they are enrolled." Then comes the assembly of an infrastructure where the Government, Ministry of Education, universities and other stakeholders address from the transportation of children to the training of therapists or, for example, to equip schools playrooms.
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