The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity has funded a series of Lego Clubs at schools in the capital
An iconic children’s toy is assisting in the development of communication skills for young people living with autism.
Lego therapy, an initiative being funded with the help of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), is being used in secondary schools in the capital to address some of the difficulties faced by adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, such as verbal communication and conflict resolution.
As well as supporting the work of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, ECHC helps to fund projects which mean that young people can receive treatment in community settings.
Therapy groups, or Lego Club, consists of three members –an engineer, supplier and builder – who can only complete the model by using verbal and non-verbal interaction to work together.
Kristina Doran, a speech and language therapist, runs these sessions in two mainstream high schools in Edinburgh, which have enhanced support for some pupils with additional support needs.
She said: “The secondary school environment can be very challenging to young people with ASD, and their difficulties can have a profound impact on their learning and social competence.
“Being able to build relationships is a vital life skill and providing evidence-based interventions to support this is a key part of a speech and language therapist’s role.
“We have definitely seen positive progress in the time we’ve been running these sessions, with some young people’s vocabularies improving significantly.”
Using the famous coloured bricks to support the development of communication skills is supported by evidence which suggests that the fun, yet structured, nature of gameplay helps young people with ASD to cope better with the everyday challenges they may face.
Rachel Baxter, director of fundraising and marketing at ECHC, said: “It’s fantastic to know that the Lego therapy sessions are going so well and that there are already real results beginning to show.
“By providing this kind of therapy within the young people’s natural environment, it is a great opportunity to practice and put into action new skills.
“These small grants can go a huge way in helping young people with ASD to get the support they require to face everyday obstacles.”
