5 Innovative Therapies To Help A Disturbed Elementary School Child
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As a teacher it is very important for us to understand that the child’s needs change dramatically as they transition from primary school to elementary school. The elementary school-aged child has entered into an entirely different stage of learning. To continue meeting their needs we as a teacher or parents must cater to their changing needs.
An elementary school child goes through a lot of ups and downs in terms of socio-emotional disturbances experienced by him or her on a day to day basis. They start to behave absurdly, they become defiant and feel withdrawn and ignored from the social world and family. They are more aggressive to find their identity. They are easily discouraged by an unsupportive environment. They go through a lot of mood swings and daydreaming. They are very talkative and highly active in energy levels. They are very shy and may not be very comfortable with sharing their problems with their peers or teachers.
Hence there is a greater impetus being put on the teachers to cater to the individual differences observed among the students in the classroom and support to build congenial environments to promote holistic development of the child without the feeling of ignorance. It is the responsibility of a teacher to identify such disturbed children and make them too feel special and gifted as other students of the class.
The following therapies can be found to be very helpful and supportive for building a positive environment to promote socio-emotional growth and development.
Play Therapy
A teacher as a therapist can use playtime to observe and gain insights into a child's problems and help the child explore emotions and deal with unresolved trauma. Through play, children can learn new coping mechanisms and how to redirect inappropriate behaviours. By allowing the child the freedom to express what they're going through,
Play Therapy can help the child to:
Learn basic or advanced motor skills
Learn decision-making and problem-solving skills
Learn social skills
Understand their emotions and their problems
Gain more confidence through self-expression
Enhance their imagination and creativity
Music Therapy
Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness, including intellectual, social-emotional, motor, language, and overall literacy. It helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Music therapy is an evidence-based treatment that helps in treating a variety of disorders like depression, autism, substance abuse and Alzheimer's disease. It can help with memory, lower blood pressure, improve coping, reduce stress, improve self-esteem and more. Music therapy can not only motivate students to communicate and express themselves, but offers a creative outlet for their feelings, thoughts and ideas that may be difficult to express otherwise.
Dance Therapy
Dance therapy is a type of therapy that uses movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. It helps in the self expression of inner thoughts and feelings. Dance therapy keeps a child physically active and nullifies the factor of boredom.
Dance therapy can be used to treat a number of physical and mental health issues in children like
Anxiety
Communication issues
Dementia
Depression
Disordered eating
Low self-esteem
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a specialized area of mental health that uses art materials and the creative process to explore emotions, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, and resolve other psychological conflicts. Art therapy allows children to process the things that have happened to them and helps reduce stress and anxiety. In simple words, art therapy is a medium for helping kids deal with challenging emotions and express their thoughts and feelings.
The following are the benefits of Art Therapy:
Lowers stress level
Helps to be focused
Liberation of inner conflicts and thoughts
Discover a sense of happiness in the different colors used
Nurtures Emotional Growth
Role - Play Therapy
Role-playing means pretending to be someone else, and this is why it is also known as pretend-play. It is effective as well as a flexible tool that helps to make sense of theory through practical experience. Role play is an important part of child development, as it builds confidence, creativity, communication, physical development and problem solving skills. Along with being a fun activity, it also allows children to get into character and act out real life roles or fictional performances.
Role Play helps the child in the following way:
Developing empathy towards others by experiencing new perspectives
Increased problem-solving skills
Improved self-expression through communication
Motivate and engage students
Every child is blessed with unique talent, we just need to boost him/her to explore the talents well and help to open the different doors of opportunities for the child. As a teacher or parent, it is our prime responsibility to be caring, loving and supportive for our children. Because it is only a teacher that can light the fire in the child to spread the light to the entire nation.
All The Best!!!
Happy Learning!!!
By Shobha Joy Gaddam
(Academician & Educator)
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Comments
Thats indeed an excellent write up. Much needed therapy for todays new generation.. Keep it up mam
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