What is Lego® based therapy?

LEGO® based therapy is a social development programme which uses LEGO® activities to support the development of a wide range of social skills within a group setting. Whilst initially developed for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders  and related social communication difficulties, such as Asperger’s Syndrome,  LEGO® based therapy has since been found to benefit children with a variety of communication and social developmental difficulties.

The programme is based on the highly structured, systematic and predictable nature of LEGO® play, which makes it appealing to children with social communication difficulties who are particularly attracted to systems.

Much more than simply playing with LEGO® bricks, LEGO® based therapy includes the presence of a trained therapist, who guides the children and encourages them to address and resolve their problems. Through LEGO® based therapy, children can learn to communicate with others, express their feelings, change their behaviour, develop problem-solving skills and develop a relationship with the world around them.

How does LEGO® based therapy work?

LEGO®  play is a multi-sensory and versatile experience, which means it can be tailored to suit each child’s individual needs. However, most LEGO® based therapy programmes are very similar and follow the same steps:

• Each child learns a clear set of rules and LEGO®  building skills.
• Everyone in the group agrees upon a project which is achievable for everyone involved – projects are usually certain structures or buildings to create.
• Each child is assigned a role, which are rotated throughout therapy.
• The group works together to build the LEGO®  structure according to the principles of play therapy.

What are the rules of LEGO® based therapy?

LEGO®  based therapy rules can be customised according to the abilities and skills of each individual. Common rules include:

• Structures must be built together by the group.
• If you break something, you have to fix it or ask for help to fix it.
• If another group member is using something and you want it,  you have to ask for it and you are not allowed to just take it.
• Use quiet indoor voices without shouting.
• Use kind and polite words.
• At the end, tidy everything away and put it back where it came from.

What are the roles in LEGO® based therapy?

The roles in LEGO® based therapy are:

Roles are rotated throughout the LEGO®  based therapy session so that every child gets to try each role, which helps stimulate different aspects communication strategies within the child.

What are the benefits of LEGO® based therapy?

Playing with LEGO® in a therapy setting promotes social interaction, turn-taking skills, sharing, collaborative problem-solving and the learning of concepts. It can be used to target goals around social skills, language and motor skills. By using a commonly recognised tool like LEGO®, the therapy capitalises on existing motivation and supports self-esteem by allowing the participants to demonstrate their skills in a social situation. It also sets up a positive opportunity for guided social problem-solving to help develop social skills that can then be used in other situations.