Die terapeutiese gebruik van die scenotoets met verwysing na selektiewe mutisme: research

Abstract

There is a paucity of applied research and available literature about selective mutism. The main aim of this study is to illustrate that the 'Scenotest', developed by Gerhild von Staabs (1991: 1), can be used as a therapeutic technique in treating children with selective mutism. A further aim is to supplement existing literature regarding the treatment of this disorder. Nine therapeutic sessions with a nine-year old girl, who was diagnosed with selective mutism, were used as a case study for the research. The case study method was employed as a research technique as it enabled a comprehensive description of contextual factors. It was found that the application of the 'Scenotest' promoted the therapeutic process as it offered the researcher the opportunity to assess how the child experienced her life-world and those meaningful 'others' that were present, without the need for verbalisation. In this way, play became the therapeutic language and it offered a safe environment in which emotions and problems could be dramatised without the child's behaviour having an immobilising effect on the therapeutic process itself. It is recommended that further research should be undertaken to establish the application benefits of the Scenotest in a multi-cultural South African context, to investigate what role the mother-child relationship plays in the development of selective mutism and to become aware of the influence of ";silence"; on the therapist.


Daar is min toegepaste navorsing en beskikbare literatuur oor selektiewe mutisme. Die vernaamste doel van hierdie studie is om aan te toon dat die 'Scenotest' deur Gerhild von Staabs (1991: 1) as terapeutiese tegniek gebruik kan word in die terapie van kinders met selektiewe mutisme. 'n Verdere doel is om bestaande literatuur oor die behandeling van hierdie versteuring uit te brei. Nege terapeutiese sessies met 'n dogter van nege jaar wat as selektief mutisties gediagnoseer is, is as gevallestudie in die navorsing gebruik. Die gevallestudiemetode is gebruik as navorsingstegniek omdat dit 'n omvattende beskrywing van kontekstuele faktore moontlik maak. Daar is bevind dat die toepassing van die 'Scenotest' die terapeutiese proses bevorder het, aangesien dit die navorser die geleentheid gegee het om die kind se ervaring van haar lewenswereld en ander belangrike ander mense te assesseer, sonder die hulp van die gesproke woord. Op hierdie wyse het spel die terapeutiese taal geword, wat 'n veilige omgewing geskep het waarin emosies en probleme uitgespeel kon word sonder dat die kind se gedrag 'n immobiliseerde effek op die terapeutiese proses kon hê. Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing oor die toepassingswaarde van die Scenotest in 'n multi-kulturele Suid-Afrikaanse konteks gedoen word, die rol wat die ma-kind-verhouding in die ontwikkeling van selektiewe mutisme speel ondersoek word en kennis geneem word van die beperkende invloed van ";stilte"; op die terapeut.


(Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2002 7(1): 46-55)