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By Angela Leung (doctoral candidate, MPhil., MSoc.), a Soul Glad Counsellor

What is the feeling when you facing the crowd?

As an adolescent with Special Educational Needs (SEN) graduated from school and entered the society, he or she would face the community. Will he/she be aware of the feelings and how the physical body feel?

A study of the 1999 Office for National Statistics survey of mental health of children and adolescents in U.K. revealed that there was a bigger mental health problem of those with Intellectual Disability (ID) than their non-ID peers (Emerson, 2003). Adolescents with SEN have a limited language in verbal expressions than their mainstream peers. Emotions can be disturbed especially when adolescents experience changes and in times of adversity during the critical transition period from school to post-school. Research studies indicate that programmes that adopt dance movement therapy (ADMP UK, 2013; Smeijsters et. al., 2011) or self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985; Wehmeyer, 2004; Sheppes, 2013) can have positive effects on emotional self-regulation to facilitate such transitions. 

I have conducted a research study to investigate the impact of a Movement-Based Emotional Self-Regulation (ESR) Programme, underpinned by self-determination theory, on adolescents with SEN in Hong Kong during their transition from school to post-school in 2018. The themes in the programme include awareness of body, self and emotion, expression of different emotions and strategies to regulate emotions. This was a mixed method study which was measured by both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Standardised questionnaires, the strength and difficulties questionnaires of Goodman and colleagues (1998) and focus group interviews were conducted.

The study indicated that after participating in the movement-based emotional self-regulation programme, adolescents have increased bodily awareness, emotional awareness and emotional regulation strategies. These young people expressed asking help from people was important when they felt unhappy. Findings showed that adolescents went through reflection and gained insight to change their beliefs and perspectives.

To conclude, my experience in this study contributes to understand how young people with special educational needs went through emotional regulation. The knowledge gained from this process provides information on how to apply dance movement therapy and self-determination theory to enhance emotional wellness of these young people.

Soul Glad provides online counselling services and face-to-face counselling service. The counselling sessions could be conducted online or offline at anytime, anywhere. Our counselling service include individual, family and parenting counselling, sand-play therapy etc. All our counsellors have obtained professional qualifications, and possess years of counselling experience. Soul Glad are now providing free first 20 minutes session. Please visit our website: https://soul-glad.com/counsellors/

About Angela Leung:

https://soul-glad.com/angela-leung/

Read More Relevant Articles: 

Soul Glad: Psychologist Encouraged Parents Provided Early Intervention for Special Education Needs Children

References:

Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP UK). (2013). Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP).   Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://admp.org.uk/dance-movement-psychotherapy/what-is-dance-movement-psychotherapy/.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum Publishing Corp.

Emerson, E. (2003). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with and without intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 47(Part 1), 55-58.

Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., Bailey, V. (1998). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 125-130.

Sheppes, G. (2013). Emotion Regulation Choice: Theory and Findings. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of Emotion Regulation (Second Edition ed.). New York: Guilford Publications.

Smeijsters, H., Kil, J., Kurstjens, H., Welten, J., & Willemars, G. (2011). Arts therapies for young offenders in secure care-A practice-based research. Arts in Psychotherapy, 38(1), 41-51. 

Wehmeyer, M. L. (2004). Beyond Self-Determination: Causal Agency Theory. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 16(4), 337-35