What is LEGO Therapy?
LEGO Therapy involves building LEGO models in small groups or pairs where children take on different roles and work together. The children are encouraged to practice turn taking, sharing, joint problem solving and general social communication skills.
Children would take on one of the following roles:
- Engineer – this child has the set of directions and initially has to request the bricks required from the supplier and then direct the builder to make the finished product.
- Supplier – has the LEGO bricks and supplies the engineer with the required items on request.
- Builder – is given the set of bricks and follows the instructions of the engineer in order to create the product.
LEGO Therapy sessions last for between 45 minutes and 1 hour and would be delivered once a week.
There are LEGO Therapy rules including:
- Build things together
- If you break it you have to fix it or ask for help to fix it
- If someone else is using it don’t take it, ask first
- Use indoor voices, no shouting
- Keep hands and feet to yourself
- Use polite words
- Clean up and put things back where they came from
- Do not put LEGO in your mouth
Who is LEGO Therapy for?
LEGO Therapy is a group that may be offered to children and young people (aged 5-11) who are having an assessment to see if they are autistic.
By attending the group this will allow us to gather information that will be used to help us make a decision if a child or young person meets the criteria for an autism diagnosis.
How can LEGO Therapy help children and young people?
Studies into LEGO Therapy research have shown to increase social competencies in general, including the duration of social interaction and self-initiated social contact.
LEGO Therapy sessions would be completed with a circle time at the end to discuss and share creations, which further builds confidence and encourages social interaction.
In addition LEGO Therapy also supports children to join in with the following activities:
- Inclusion with mainstream peers
- Presentations to other pupils
- Presentations to parents perhaps at coffee mornings
- Liaison, co-operation and visits with other communication units
- Photographs and models for display and evidence
- Development of co-operative play skills during reward times/free play session
Who runs the LEGO Therapy groups?
These groups are run by the autism assessment team in Durham and Darlington, and will be offered at either Stanley Health Centre or The Holly Unit at West Park.
Tel: 01325 552037
Stanley Primary Care Centre,
Clifford Road,
Stanley,
DH9 0AB
Holly Unit
West Park Hospital,
Edward Pease Way,
Darlington,
DL2 2TS
L1015, V1, 15/11/2018 (Archive: 15/11/2021)
