DibsFamous case study by

Virginia Axline‘In search of self’

Lessons Aims

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

State the key features of Axline’s case study (1964) of a boy known as ‘Dibs’

Explain how play therapy was used in Axline’s study

Be able to evaluate the Dib’s case study itself as well as the case study research method

Describing a case study

• Aims• Case Description –the story• Case Analysis – Axline’s analysis

• Conclusion

Axline’s AimAxline’s Aim The case study is about one of Axline’s

genuine real life cases. She was a clinical psychologist.

Dibs was a 5 year old boy who wouldn’t speak, was aggressive and couldn’t mix with the other children at school.

The aim was to help Dib’s express The aim was to help Dib’s express himself and ‘unlock’ his personality. himself and ‘unlock’ his personality.

Procedure Procedure Axline visited the school and observed Dibs. She then met with Dibs’ mother, who agreed for

Dibs to attend play therapy sessions once a week for an hour

She worked with him in a playroom to observe his play and behaviour

She kept detailed records of all sessions with Dibs and discussions with his teachers and mother.

She observed one interaction between Dib’s and his father

Important to note:

• Axline waited for Dibs to speak and would then feedback what he was asking about in the hope that he would continue on the theme. She did not want there to be any interruption of his natural behaviour.

• She also waited for the mother to come to her, rather than ask the mother questions before she was ready to talk.

Key Themes notes by Axline • Dibs demonstrated dislike of his father.• Using a toy soldier he called ‘Papa’, he

acted out hurting his father. • He locked his parents into a dolls’ house

and pretended it was on fire. But he did release the family and his father.

Another theme • Dibs did not speak or show much evidence of

his true intellect when Axline first met him but very quickly it became obvious that he was a very gifted child.

• His teachers suspected he was intelligent• His parents thought he was possibly brain

damaged

Another theme • Dibs did not like locked doors or walls. He

brought this up a lot especially in play therapy.

NB: His father wouldSometimeslock Dibs in his bedroom

Key features Key features • Dibs had violent outbursts.• Dibs never wanted to go home.• Dibs played with the dolls house a lot .He would

lock the windows and doors.• He buried a doll in the sand .He called it papa.• He hid the soldiers and they also seemed to

represent his father.• He wanted his father to go away.

Dibs buried A doll representingPapa in the sand

Dibs hated walls and Locked Doors

Dibs never wanted to Go home

Dibs buried andHid his soldiers

Extract Doctor Axline is presented to his father. Here is a the passage of this

brief interview between the three characters:

The Papa glanced at me. “How do you do”, he said, stiffly.

He seemed very ill at ease. “ How do you do,” I replied

“I say, Papa,” Dibs said. “Do you know today is not Independence Day?”

“Come Dibs I am in a hurry,” Papa said

“Independence Day comes on Thursday,”

Papa was shoving Dibs out the door. “Can’t you stop that senseless “Can’t you stop that senseless jabber?” jabber?” he said, between clenched teeth

• AnalysisAnalysis• Axline believed Dibs felt humiliation from his parents

and the only family member he did not feel this from was his grandmother.

• His mother seemed to be ashamed of Dibs. She was constantly testing him.

• Both parents were high achievers but his mother seemed to blame Dibs for her not being able to maintain her career. His parents suspected he was brain damaged

• Dibs turned out to be a gifted child who could read and write easily and understand complex concepts.

The play therapy for Dibs has been an “opportunity to move out of those dark “opportunity to move out of those dark moments and discover for himself that he could moments and discover for himself that he could cope with the shadows and sunshine in his life” cope with the shadows and sunshine in his life” (Dibs : In Search of Self p. 215).

The week after the play therapy sessions ended, a clinical psychologist conducted a test of intelligence. The results indicated that Dibs was an ““exceptionally gifted childexceptionally gifted child”.”.

He was sent to a school for gifted children He was sent to a school for gifted children

Application Application Consider how useful play therapy is in

enabling children such as Dibs to use toys to represent the real world.

It is clear that Dibs used the toy soldiers to represent his father.

• Much of current play therapy practice is based upon Virginia Axline’s work

Play therapy rooms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1uV8xnDodo sand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aE-F-jYFJs clay

The therapist: Must develop a warm and friendly relationship with the child. Accepts the child as she or he is. Establishes a feeling of permission in the relationship so that the child feels free to express his or her feelings completely. Is alert to recognise the feelings the child is expressing and reflects these feelings back in such a manner that the child gains insight into his/her behaviour. Maintains a deep respect for the child’s ability to solve his/her problems and gives the child the opportunity to do so. The responsibility to make choices and to institute change is the child’s. Does not attempt to direct the child’s actions or conversations in any manner. The child leads the way, the therapist follows. Does not hurry the therapy along. It is a gradual process and must be recognised as such by the therapist. Only establishes those limitations necessary to anchor the therapy to the world of reality and to make the child aware of his/her responsibility in the relationship.

TaskTask• Read the information on your

sheet• Hi-light if it helps you to identify

key ideas• Create Dibs’ story into a story

board