GAMES THERAPY

In November, the Special Gymnasium Lyceum of Athens invited us all to take a trip on a train. A train - to be exact - that is rolling through Europe and spreading the influence of art therapy, as well as inspiring pupils with special needs to socialize and integrate within the society. The representatives from Greece have chosen to present the games therapy method. A method that has successfully been applied in their school. The first day of the meeting has been delegated to sports games. Colleagues from Greece give great attention to sports. This is not only due to the fact that Greece is the capital of the Olympic Games but also because the therapy method inclusive of sports games plays a major role in the education of pupils with physical disabilities at the Special Gymnasium Lyceum of Athens. The possibility to compete as a full-fledged team member not only raises the self-esteem of students but also brings excitement and joy of victory within their life - a life that is often limited by their mobility impairment. Members of the Erasmus team also had the chance to experience the excitement, joy of winning and sorrow of loosing while participating in the Ancient Greek folk competition using balls, i.e., during the badminton tournament.

On the second day of the meeting, the hosts presented their on-line software for creating and adjusting of escape rooms in order to fit various educational disciplines and allow for an innovative way of checking your knowledge as well as abilities. The hosts also presented their own made tabletop games. Educators from Greece assured us that the children of the digital generation play these games with great interest. During the visit, members were able to study how pupils are learning Ancient Greek history through tabletop games created by the aforementioned educators.

The second day of the visit concluded with a visit to a stable and participation in horse therapy. The educators of the Gymnasium and Lyceum are always open to new therapy methods, as they are always striving to help pupils with individual needs. Horse therapy is a perfect opportunity for people with communication difficulties to open and express themselves. True emotions experienced at the hippodrome made it clear that time spent around horses brought joy and benefits to six out of the eighty pupils of the Gymnasium and Lyceum.  The volunteers at the hippodrome provide educational, occupational therapy and kinaesthetic services towards pupils each week for the entire year that help improve their mobility and communication skills. At the end of the year, the educators assemble new teams in order to allow as much pupils as possible to experience this unique therapy method.

On the third day of the meeting, the project participants were introduced to the moment when playtime turns into an educational activity and what influence does it have on learning, how games therapy works, what kind of games are there to experience and what type of games are best suited for the education of pupils with individual needs... It was a pleasant surprise when the Greeks presented and gave every member an environmentally friendly tabletop game translated into the language of each participating member. This only cemented the thought that games have no boundaries and they are liked the same in every country. Games have been successfully been integrated into the workplaces of parents and educators alike. Another pleasant surprise by Greeks was the assortment of digital games designed to introduce pupils to the countries of the project members. The pupils at the Special Gymnasium Lyceum of Athens applied their knowledge during the playtime of the game “Treasure hunt”. A game during which a unique example of the inclusive education in literature classes of the special gymnasium and the neighbouring general education institution held once a month was demonstrated.

The pupils at the Special Gymnasium Lyceum of Athens experience difficulties not only while trying to move but also while trying to speak and express themselves. Starting at the youngest of age, children like to communicate with their toys - especially their dolls - therefore, the educators have introduced their own interpretation of the Drama therapy first experienced in Lithuania: creation of mini performances during which dolls made by children take centre stage. Sometimes they speak and other times they express themselves through movement. In order for the motion to compensate for the spoken difficulties, the educators suggested making dolls from newspapers as this material not only gives the desired shape to dolls but also allows them to make some the most interesting of poses and also allows them to broaden and better the spoken and communication skills of children.

The effort of educators trying to meld several different types of applied therapy methods have been witnessed during each meeting of the project Special education students overcome obstacles with art therapy. In addition to the aforementioned combination of puppetry and drama therapy, a combination of drama, music and dance therapies was also presented in Greece at the crowning event "Dancing under the sea", dedicated to the World Day of Disabled People. The emotions expressed by pupils on stage made it clear that the educators have chosen the right approach and strategy. By combining several types of therapy during the single event, you are able to dwell not only on a single but several problem areas at once and help children overcame the arising obstacles. 

During the meeting, members broadened their knowledge of games methodology, realised the impact and benefits of thereof an also witnessed new therapy combinations that may help them in their work and how to apply them for the individual needs and hobbies of different pupils.