Using Drama Therapy and Storytelling in Developing Social Competences in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities of Residential Centers

AbstractThe paper approaches the problematic of the adults with severe intellectual disability who are institutionalized for a long time in residential centres. The subjects included in our study are aged between 20 and 42 years old and have been institutionalized from early ages. The long-term institutionalization effects are reflected in language development, social abilities, mental sanity, progressive personality transformation. The most known phenomenon associated with the effects of institutionalization is “hospitalism phenomenon” manifested through passiveness, apathy, lack of interest. As the subjects we are studying show this panoply of characteristics, specific to children abandoned in state institutions, we’ve set ourselves to make the effects of drama therapy sessions and storytelling relevant for the social competencies of adults with severe intellectual disability, institutionalized in residential centres. For this, we used Innsbruck Social Competence Questionary for Adults with learning difficulties or mental disabilities (I-S-K-I-E). The therapy sessions have been constructed following the base structure: the warm-up, main event and closure. The results revealed an increase in social and communication skills (in the field of language acquisition) and a decrease in disturbed behavior. Creative work sessions offered alternative ways of communication for the nonverbal adults and opportunities to work in group. Through art, an adult with severe intellectual disability can explore the physical and social environment, address past and current emotional issues, can create a role and reach a state of satisfaction from imaginary events