The Homunculi Approach to Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Book excerpt: The Homunculi, (or 'little people'), is a fun activity that builds social and emotional resilience in children and young people, aged 7 upwards, and into the teenage years. It is particularly suited to those with high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome who often have difficulty identifying troubling feelings such as anger, fear and anxiety. The Homunculi are miniature agents with problem-solving missions and special gadgets who live inside the brain and help out with distressing thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Through inventing their own Homunculi characters and stories, participants in the activity learn to cope with their real-life social problems. Complete with a large-format skull poster, character and storyboard templates, and photocopiable record sheets, this unique resource includes everything needed to get started on making Homunculi stories, cartoons or videos. This flexible, 10-week, CBT-based programme for individuals or groups will be transformative for psychologists, therapists, teachers and other professionals working with children on the autism spectrum or with behavioural difficulties.