Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 23:48:42 +0000 (GMT) From: Laura bowen Subject: Please help on a case study!! Sorry to interrupt your Christmas and new year festivities but I need advice on a case study I have undertaken, for part of my playwork degree. I have known this child for a long time but have been observing him over the last few months. He is an 8 year old boy with severe autism. He lives with his family (Mum, Dad, older brother & younger sister) and attends a special school a distance away from his home. He has a great interest in computer games and enjoys riding his bike in the street. The nature of my course work is to design a program of 'healing' for this child using the medium of play. My first thought was to try and help his social interactions by way of differing computer games with more personally interactive elements. During my observations I have found that there is a much more important area to try and help, his sibling relations. As i mentioned he has an older brother, 13 who will ignore his brother totally and will matter of factly say "I hate him!", his younger sister, 6 has learnt from this model and also avoids this child at all costs. I feel that if this sibling relationship could be helped by a program of change and healing the child would have a lot for support in facing social relationships in the everyday world. I am asking you for you help in ideas and comments of this case study and any possible plans of action you feel could/should be taken. I also ask that if there are any researchers and theorists that you could suggest in both the fields of autism and sibling relations I would be very grateful to hear them. Thank you for reading this at this busy time of year and I hope to here from you soon. Laura Bowen 3rd year playwork student, Leeds Metropolitan University.