Can Fighting Dragons Help Your Autism
❤ Introduction ❤
❤ The Dungeons and the Dragons❤
First,
what is D&D? Originally released in 1974, its about playing a character and
narrating their every action and every bit of dialogue. In my experience, some
people get more into it, going first person for their characters rather than
staying in third. There’s conflict and diplomacy and sometimes even romance. If
you haven’t tried it, I highly
suggest it for everyone. But this post isn’t about just playing D&D; it’s
about using it for therapy.
❤Drama Therapy or Play Therapy ❤
A
Graduate Project by Avery Chaplan-Hoang was posted in the Concordia University
Library site. Written in 2021, it’s a very recent publication. If you want to
read it for yourself, it’s called “Dungeons, Dragons, and Drama Therapy: A
Digital Approach for Teenagers on the Autism Spectrum,” a mouthful, I know, but
that’s how academic articles are.
In
it, Chaplan-Hoang talks about drama therapy, a form of therapy I had never
heard of before. Apparently, it’s more flexible and doesn’t really feel like
therapy. Because it isn’t as formal, it can be easier for some clients to get
in touch with their feelings.
Chaplan-Hoang
advocates for a two-player game, with the therapist taking the role of Game
Master, or person running the game, and the client being the PC, or player
character. This allows more in-depth playout of interactions and a possible
debrief of events that happened. However, playing in a group setting also has
its advantages. For example, it allows people to practice working cooperatively
and taking turns. It’s basically how I used the game without even thinking
about it.
❤ Dragons and ASD ❤
So
why use D&D in therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
According to Chaplan-Hoang, ASD falls into two categories. The first stands to
gain more from the use of drama therapy. These are the people with social and
communication issues, like me. D&D helps people learn to carry
conversations, understand the reactions of others, and understand social cues.
Dungeons
and Dragons also allows social situations to be broken down into manageable
chunks in a safe environment free from real world consequence. There is what Chaplan-Hoang
calls a “dramatic distance” from reality that can ironically lead to more
objective calls and observations. In D&D, you inevitably will face
conflict, changes in plans, and disappointment, all things someone with ASD may
struggle with. In addition, you can pause a game, unlike in real life, to get
clarity. I have literally stopped games to ask my Game Master why the heck a
character responded the way they did.
While
not everyone with ASD is the same, I highly suggest discussing Dungeons and
Dragons, if not regular drama therapy with your therapist to see if it would
work for you.
So, has D&D or another tabletop role playing game helped you and your understanding of the society around you? Let’s talk about it in the comments.
Citing that source for those interested:
Chaplan-Hoang, Avery.
“Dungeons, Dragons, and Drama Therapy: A Digital Approach for Teenagers on the
Autism Spectrum.” Spectrum, Concordia University Library, 6 Mar. 2021,
https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/988187/.
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