Ontwikkelende speelterapie as psigoterapeutiese tegniek in die hantering van dowe leerders wat presenteer met emosionele probleme

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Deaf learners are unique and require special support and assistance. It is apparent in theliterature that deaf learners are more exposed to both physical and sexual abuse. Theconsequences of the latter can lead to emotional problems, for example, enuresis, anxietydisorders, depression, panic attacks, anger outbursts and attention deficits. One of thebiggest challenges in the life of deaf learners must surely be communication.Misunderstandings and subsequent frustrations that ensue, normally occur as a result ofcommunication difficulties between deaf learners and the hearing person. From theliterature it appears necessary to stimulate the deaf learner's language development asearly as possible, as it impacts on several aspects of his/her maturation into adulthood.Communication difficulties can also influence the emotional development of deaf learners.Therapeutic support for deaf learners are a challenge. The therapist that works with thelearners should ideally be able to sign. The young deaf learners do, however, not yet havea signing system and consequently communication is problematic. The learnersthemselves experience frustrations as he/she is not able to express his/her emotions. Theobjective of this study was to investigate the possibility of developmental play therapy as apsychotherapeutic technique for the treatment of emotional problems in young deaflearners. To some degree, the technique makes it possible for verbal communicationbetween therapist and learners to be replaced by physical contact. The aim of the activitiesis to take learners back to the early mother-child relationship and for the therapist to modelhealthy relationships. The research undertaken here is a qualitative case study. It wasapproached from an eco-systemic perspective, in other words learners are viewed as thecore system which, in turn, is part of several other systems for example the family, school,church, community, etc. The systems are interdependent, which means that change in theone system also results in change within the other systems. In the data production videorecordings, unstructured interviews, observations and field notes were used. Data analysiswas done using the principles of coding. The results of the study show that developmentalplay therapy is indeed an effective psychotherapeutic technique in the treatment ofemotional problems in young deaf learners. It would appear that the technique requiresadaptation for deaf learners needs in order to be effective.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University