Narrative Practices for Children with ASD: Hey! My Therapist Has an Imaginary Friend and Other Anti-tantrum Practices†

Abstract

Aggressive behaviour is one of the most disruptive problems in children with autism. It generates anxiety in the parents and the child, who does not know what to do, and the family's quality of life is significantly reduced. In this scenario, using narrative practices may help promote the sense of agency in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and help them find solutions based on self-knowledge. This article explores different narrative practices to help deal with challenging behaviour in children with ASD. We discuss several examples using two techniques: a therapist's imaginary friend and using a magic coin as ways of externalising the problem and playing with metaphors. We present the procedures applied during the interventions with three children. These narrative practices can help to externalise the problem, think about possible solutions, and facilitate the development of imagination and abstract thinking in children with ASD.