Social Skills, Emotional Growth and Drama Therapy

Lee R. Chasen, PhD, RDT, LCAT, is the Founding Director of Kid Esteem Inc., a non-profit organisation dedicated to the social and emotional vitality and empowerment of children, families, schools, and communities. His groundbreaking work at Kid Esteem Inc. has been featured in Newsday, The New York Times, News 12 television and syndicated radio stations across the USA. A drama therapist in private practice, Lee is based in Long Island, New York.

Foreword: Mirrors and Bridges. Introduction: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Part I-Behind the Scenes: Theoretical Constructs. 1. Dramatic Encounters. Matthew. Jason. Kenny. James. David. Janet. 2. Engaging the Pervasive Developmental Disorders. The diagnoses. Possible causes. Treatment approaches. Developmental considerations. Positive intervention. Back through the looking glass. 3. Drama: Mirroring the Neurological Soul. Reflection for the ages. Drama is therapy. Process reflective enactment. Theatre, drama and PDD children. Part II-Center Stage: Theory in Action. 4. Constructing a Drama Therapy Approach to Social Skills. Space and materials. Roles of leadership. Group protocols and interventions. Process-oriented social skills: Three layers of engagement. Revisiting Aristotle. 5. Recognition: Establishing Roles. Orientation. Session 1:Naming names. Session 2: Greeting others/saying hello. Session 3: Listening and responding to greetings. 6. Unity: Building Ensemble. Session 4: Finding myself. Session 5: Noticing others. 7. Character: Reflecting Goodness and Appropriateness. Session 6: Sharing my world. Session 7: Finding matches. 8. Plot: Organizing Events. Session 8: Working and playing together. Session 9: Lights! Camera! Action! Putting it all together. Session 10: Movie day. 9. Diction and Reasoning: Social Scripting, Facial Cues and Body Language. Session 11: Reunion and reconnection. Session 12: Interpreting and responding to nonverbal cues. Session 13: On the right track-Building conversation. 10. Complication and Resolution: Interactive Language Skills. Session 14: The right words in the right place at the right time. Session 15: Stay to play or walk away? Sessions 16-17: Director's Chair-Asserting social language and solving problems.11. Comedy and Plot: Broadening Perspectives and Constructing Solutions. Session 18: What's so funny? Session 19: Lights! Camera! Action! Putting it all together again. Session 20: Movie day the sequel. 12. Actions and Life: Simulating Events. Session 21: My story. Session 22: How to be a real winner. Session 23: Calling all friends! Session 24: Out to lunch. Session 25: Roll with it. 13. Reversal: Individualized Scripting. Sessions 26-28: Power videos. 14. Episodic Outline: Tools for Reflection and Celebration. Session 29: Yearbooks. Session 30: Sharing memories. 15. Reflections: I See You. References. Index.