BRICK BASED THERAPY OHIO SOCIAL SKILLS GROUP
LEGO® Therapy at Brick-Based Therapy Ohio
LEGO® therapy is peer based group social skills program that teaches children with autism communication and social skills by empowering children to take on roles in tasks where they must communicate, problem solve, and collaborate with other peers. This is done by giving children the opportunity to take turns in different roles (engineer, supplier, the builder) where they work together to complete a common goal (e.g. LEGO® set)
During LEGO® therapy, children learn and practice valuable communication and social skills during their sessions. These skills extend beyond the group setting, allowing them to apply what they’ve learned in various other situations.
LEGO® Therapy at Brick Based Therapy Ohio expands on the basic tenets of LEGO® Therapy by including social skill lessons that are tailored to the individual needs of each group member.
Additionally, our program has a parent involvement component. Parents are given a summary of each lesson that is covered in group sessions as well as specific ways that they can help their child practice and strengthen skills covered during group.
The key tenets utilized by Brick-Based Therapy Ohio in working with children and families:
Individualized approach: The curriculum is tailored to the specific needs and interests of children in the group. Each child is given a brief survey measuring their strengths, interests, and areas for growth in their social and communication skills.
Positive Reinforcement: Praise and encouragement is used to motivate and build confidence in all group members.
Generalization: The social and communication skills learned in group can be applied across a variety of social settings.
Fun and Engaging: LEGOs® are a key part of the therapy process and are used in way that is fun and helps children learn, develop, and use social and communication skills
Below is an example of a typical BRICK BASED Therapy session.
- Start of session starts with a brief check in with children about how they are feeling that day and a quick review of the previous session and homework assignment.
- Children are presented with a 15 minute lesson teaching a new social skill (e.g. "How to give compliments to others"). Children practice skill with other group members.
- Group members are assigned roles and work together to complete a LEGO® set OR other LEGO® based activity where the newly learned skill is applied
- Free collaborative play - group members may be given a task or activity (example create a social story using LEGOS® where a student compliments another student in class )
- Clean-up
- Wrap-up. Brief review of social skill discussed in group and homework assignment to practice this social skill (e.g. give three people you know a compliment)
- Parents receive a summary of group session as well as how they can support their child in practicing newly learned social skills in other areas outside of group
How is LEGO® therapy different than other social skills programs?
One of the key benefits of LEGO® therapy is that it uses a child's interests and strengths (in this case Legos) to teach and practice social and communication skills. Often times social skills programs involve "teaching" a child social or communication skills through worksheets, videos, or one- on-one practice with a therapist or teacher, but not the actual people that the child has struggles with.
Lego® therapy is different in that it gives children an opportunity to practice social skills in "real life" by working with peers on a common goal.
LEGO® Therapy is a structured therapy intervention, not just getting a group of kids together to play LEGOS®.
The use of LEGOS® in the group setting works so well because the LEGOS® seize the child's attention, engage multiple senses, promote a shared understanding amongst group members and the facilitator, and elicit social interactions where child can practice and utilize social and communication skills (Paul, 2021).
Benefits of LEGO® therapy
Research has shown LEGO® Therapy to be an effective therapeutic intervention. Below are some key findings of the benefits for LEGO® therapy social skills programming.
- Promotes and enhances social skills such as: communication, cooperation, turn-taking, and sharing
- Fosters positive enduring social relationships for youth on the autism spectrum (Vanderbilt Kennedy Center- Treatment Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders)
- Strengthens social-cognitive processing skills such as perspective taking, self-awareness, social problem solving, and joint attention.
- Skills learned during group can be generalized across settings and people outside of the group setting
- Improves fine motor skills
