Dramatherapy includes singing, rhythm and music which provide structure and an enjoyable creative outlet. Movement is particularly useful for those clients with ASD because it allows the clients to get a better sense of themselves in space and in relationship with the therapist. It allows the client to interact with the world physically and therefore explore how they fit in with their environment. Using developmental movement techniques from Sherbourne, clients can experiment with a range of different relationship experiences with the therapist including “with”, “shared” and “against”. Exploring these different relationships through movement encourages the ability to build relationships and promotes eye contact within the therapy session itself, and this may transfer to the rest of the client’s life.
Play is another important element in Dramatherapy, being essential to a child’s development and used in different ways throughout a child’s and adult’s life. The Dramatherapist is able to work with play at whatever level the client requires, building yet further the experiences of the client.