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Disruptive pupils benefit from creative therapy

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

A DEDICATED Northside woman is spearheading a new method to deal with disruptive pupils in classrooms.
Creative therapist Mary O’Donnell, who lives on the Howth Road, has been visiting schools across the Northside in an effort to help children who are experiencing problems with learning in school.
Caring Mary has been giving schoolchildren the opportunity to offload difficulties they have by taking them temporarily away from their regular subjects in the classroom, to have fun and learn through the arts and drama.
Mary, who has been invited to schools in Edenmore, Kilbarrack, Darndale, Baldoyle and Donabate, said creative therapy should be promoted even more in schools.
Her sessions at each school are funded through the Department of Education’s School Completion Programme.
Mary believes it should become a permanent fixture in schools that really need it.
Speaking to Northside People, Mary said she has really seen the benefits of creative therapy on problematic children.
“I believe that children who create problems in school are those who have problems themselves,” she stated.
“What I give them is the opportunity to learn through play, while trying to tap into the creative side of the child, whether that is through drama or some other art form.

“The children respond positively to this, as creative therapy is really user friendly and gives the children time to offload some of the problems that are affecting them.”
Mary, who is a qualified drama therapist, said her sessions are much more preferable than taking troublesome children out of the classrooms.
“I don’t believe it is right to move children into segregated classrooms because they may be experiencing difficulties,” she stated.
“This is only a further stigma for the children, who are much better served by a healthy measure such as creative therapy.
“It can be a long process but it can act as a bridge between the home and school for some children.”
Mary’s time in each school is usually spent with up to six children for one hour at a time.
“I could spend a day at a school and the children actually take on more learning by doing these activities with me,” she added.
“There are so many children who find their time in school very difficult but this makes such a difference to them.
“The focus is on the child's creative process and the child is not expected to produce an end product.
“It is time there was more awareness of the benefits of creative therapy and I hope the Department of Education will continue to fund schools to allow for it.”
Meanwhile, the department has indicated that it will support creative therapy in schools.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education told Northside People that therapeutic supports are offered through the School Completion Programme as part of in-school activities to targeted young people at risk of early school leaving.
“Where required, specialists are employed by projects/ schools to provide play therapy, art therapy, dance therapy and music therapy,” the spokeswoman said.
“These interventions are most commonly provided in schools over a short period of time in an attempt to help young people to identify and manage problems they are facing in their lives.
“In many cases the aims of such interventions is to slowly integrate the child back into the classroom, to become a less disruptive force, build more positive relationships with peers and generally develop a more lasting attitude to school life.”
However, the spokeswoman noted that it was a matter for the individual schools to decide how best to apply the funding received in providing activities to address educational disadvantage among their pupils.
“This can include providing therapeutic supports, particularly if pupils present with emotional and behavioural difficulties,” she added.

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