Lego is helping autistic children to socialize and business people to conceptualize - all hands on!
What Could 'Lego' do for the rest of us?
I experienced the power of 'Lego' over Xmas period as a little 'anchor' to which we attached learning outcomes. This was in really fantastic training the trainers brain friendly course.
It left a sufficient impact that reminded me again of the 'Lego Serious Play' training which a colleague talked to me about in a previous reincarnation. In a nutshell this allows you to problem solve by conceptualizing these into 3d brick metaphors. There is a fantastic review of the process here.
How many streams of activity Lego can stimulate beyond the business?
And then Xmas weaved its magic with some news from CCN relating to how Lego building blocks were also building bridges to nurture the communication and socialisation skills between Autistic children. They looked at this in six British schools.
Could it be that the explanation in the Lego Serious Play (LSP) program may have characteristics of play that could be mirroring with autistic kids?
LSP is said to serve as a 3D platform to enable the construction of scenarios, play out possibilities without 'risking reality', and develop fluid co-constructive team narratives in an environment where everyone is equal and all voices are heard....mmmm
What if you couldn't afford LSP and wanted to develop your own way?
Here is some food for thought, why not combine the power of 2d drawing/visualisation, and utilise a framework that would enable you to set playing scenarios for your 3d bricking?
You know a bit like how generals in the old, old days would plan battles.
Well, there is a fantastic book called 'the back of a napkin' which looks at the power of using visualisation in problem solving by making a tastier cocktail of the reality of people,pictures, and problems. Check out what these guys have shown in their videos at VizThink. I won't reveal more, but you could see perhaps how the combination of these two approaches could help direct play and learning? The trick is to 're-frame' the process descriptors to get the learning and behavioural outcomes that you want. Until next time ;-)
Resources/References
If you are short on money to buy Lego use the free Lego digital designer (Free download)
http://ldd.lego.com/
VizThink - back of a napkin book review
http://www.vizthink.com/blog/2008/03/18/246/
Lego Serious Play Training
http://www.seriousplay.com/
CNN - Lego Helps Autistic Children to Develop Social Skills
http://gizmodo.com/5119155/lego-helps-autistic-children-to-develop-social-skills
Children & Young people now take on the Lego story
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Health/login/828279/
Times online take on the Lego Story
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article4876937.ece
Healing Thresholds website - Specialist for Autism
http://autism.healingthresholds.com/research/long-term-outcome-of-social-skil
The US experience - Lego and Autism (reported by ABC)
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=6560904
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