Play is the language when talking to younger children
By Samantha Johnson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on January 26, 2023.
reporter@medicinehatnews.com Family school liaison workers (FSLW) gave a presentation to the Medicine Hat Public School Division board this week regarding mental wellness support for students. A variety of techniques and tools are used to help students learn to understand and process emotions and experiences. For younger students, play is the language that works best. It creates a safe space for the child and enables children to master different skills and helps them express what they don’t have words for. Working with games can be used as an assessment tool and to teach social skills, such as turn taking, following rules, learning how to win and lose gracefully, communication skills, how to read social cues and conflict resolution. Executive functioning skills can also be learned from games. Frustration tolerance informs FSLWs about a child’s emotional regulation. Their level of perseverance can be gauged by if the child is willing to finish a game even when they are losing. If they do or don’t cheat speaks to self and impulse control. Playing games also helps build problem-solving skills, and all of these can be developed so the child is able to integrate them when interacting with family and peers. Another method to connect with younger children is using stories, which can assist in developing and understanding empathy. Stories enhance the therapeutic relationship and create feelings of connectedness and belonging. They can enhance self-awareness, mindfulness, along with emotion identification and regulation. Everyone has a story, and that story can be used to help the child feel empowered and in control of their own history. Narrative therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, bibliotherapy, play therapy, art therapy and sand-tray therapy are other methods used with younger students. One FSLW had a student create a worry bug out of Play-Doh. The student could talk back to the worry bug, helping the child understand their own voice. Squishing the worry bug into a flat pancake gave the student some power and control over those experiences. For older students who are feeling overwhelmed or need to connect, a safe and comfortable place will help them feel welcome. A unique attribute of the FSLW role is they are at the schools all day and can provide in-the-moment support and counselling. It allows for frequent and flexible times to engage with students and doesn’t always have to be in the FSLW office but perhaps in the hallway or gym. These short, spontaneous supports are known to break down barriers and enable better communication. School-wide initiatives include fostering inclusive spaces and having informal drop-in times over lunch to give students a safe space to eat and socialize. Group work is facilitated as needed. Sometimes the FSLW will support small groups of students with similar needs, such as working on social skills, conflict resolution, or creating healthy friendships. Being together and learning from each other is one of the benefits of group work. 12-11
