How does a ‘Jewellery Club’ adaptation of the Lego Therapy intervention impact on social anxiety and interactions between girls aged 7 with social communication interaction difficulties?

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of a ‘Jewellery Club’ on girls with social, communication and interaction difficulties. The project focussed on three girls aged seven who participated in an intervention using similar principles to the ‘Lego Therapy’ intervention. An action research approach was followed, where two phases of the intervention were undertaken with participants engaging with a weekly 20 min session for 3 weeks per phase. The impact of the intervention was assessed through the use of a social difficulties log, field notes and unstructured interviews with parents. Findings identified an overall reduction in social difficulties and social anxiety related to school as well as improved play experiences for the participants during unstructured school times and highlighted the importance of the intervention being aligned with the interests of the participants. The findings suggest that reflection on the gendered nature of interventions may be useful when considering how research might be implemented in practice.