What follows has been said
many times before and by people who know a lot more than I do.
Based on my experience, children who are unable to let their concerns be known, through words alone, are inclined to act them out in ways which only increase
their woes and those of the people who care for them.
But as children have
repeatedly demonstrated they are both attracted to and capable of making use of
an effective alternative i.e. through materials which support the combined use
of symbolic and verbal expression.
The CUSTTAD approach is
one of many such alternatives.
And my position on the
subject is this. Whilst it may not work for all children it works for many of
them. And having witnessed the benefits, the least that can be done is to make those alternative ways and means available to all those who would like to give them a
try.
It is a position which I
think is supported by the two books I have written about my work with children.
The first, Balancing the Request to be Good, is an account of the earliest
phases of the work. The second entitled Making Custtad is a sort of alphabetical
handbook of practice. Both books are now available in print form and as ebooks and can be located through the various links below the cover images.
Other sites with information about the approach are www.custtad.com and www.walkaway.co.uk. The latter, which was originally used for The Walkaway Club, is now providing a piggy back for additional information about CUSTTAD.
