What is it about?
This study presents the journey of an 11-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome in overcoming his persistent fear of being touched — more specifically, his fear of being tapped, which he perceived as a form of bullying. Traditional therapeutic approaches had been unsuccessful in addressing this entrenched avoidance. Through a novel intervention that combined cognitive and behavioral techniques with the art form of drama, the child was immersed in a fictional mystery scenario that gradually led to in vivo exposure to his fear. As the story unfolded, he was given roles where touch (especially tapping) was recontextualized: waking up a sleeping creature with a tap, helping someone in need, or congratulating a peer. These experiences allowed him to shift his perception — from viewing all touch as threatening, to understanding its varied meanings and social functions. By stepping into empowered roles within the story, the child began to tolerate, understand, and ultimately accept touch in real life, marking a significant therapeutic breakthrough.
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Why is it important?
Fears can profoundly impact the daily lives of children with autism, limiting their social interactions and emotional well-being. Many conventional therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, may not be suitable or effective for all children, particularly those with more complex needs or cognitive challenges. This innovative model offers an alternative pathway that is both accessible and motivating, using drama to engage children in therapy in ways that traditional methods may not. By expanding therapeutic options, this approach has the potential to support children who might otherwise remain underserved, fostering greater confidence and emotional growth.
Perspectives
I find it very exciting to share this innovative approach, as it offers practical guidance on how to create exciting fictional scenarios, that would motivate and support children on the autism spectrum to confront and overcome deep-seated fears. This article builds on my previous work, which focused on a case involving fear of hand dryers — a relatively contained and straightforward scenario, where the therapeutic steps followed a clear and successful path. My initial intention with this paper was to replicate that earlier case, explore the generalizability of the Cognitive Behavior Drama (CBD) model to a new context, and strengthen the evidence behind the method. However, this case turned out to be far more complex than anticipated. The child’s fear was more pervasive, and his resistance deeper, demanding a much greater degree of flexibility and creativity from me as a therapist. As a result, the paper evolved — from a planned replication into a broader reflection on navigating therapeutic obstacles. It shifted from a printed roadmap to a live GPS, constantly recalculating the route as new challenges emerged, highlighting hat therapist flexibility is a cornerstone for effective therapy.
Dr Haris Karnezi
Trinity College Dublin
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cognitive Behavior Drama: An Innovative Intervention Model that Combines Established Psychological Methods with the Art Form of Drama to Provide Young Children on the Autism Spectrum with the Motivation and Confidence to Overcome Their Fears, Advances in Research, January 2014, Sciencedomain International,
DOI: 10.9734/air/2014/8643.
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