This year, for the first time, George Blyth will have children to invite to his birthday party.
The elementary student has autism and has created a special group of classmates who play a modified version of Dungeons and Dragons.
The game is run by a Canberra social inclusion role-playing game business called Dice 4 Diversity, which helps children with diverse needs improve their conversation and social skills.
“The wait, it’s the highlight of her week,” her mother Jenelle said.
“There is a group you can fit into.
“Their social skills improved”
George plays a modified game of Dungeons and Dragons every Saturday with Canberra’s father, Ian Bennett.
Bennett, who described himself as a “tragic dungeon and dragon player,” started the business after struggling to access therapeutic services for his three children, who have diverse needs.
“We have struggled with the healthcare system to get proper treatment and we have looked for our own solutions when no progress has been made in the main therapy,” he said.
“They wouldn’t normally have social interactions with shopkeepers or tavern owners. I saw their conversation improve.”
Fantasy is a gateway to the real world
For some kids who find the real world overwhelming and challenging, it turns out that a little magic can go a long way.
In the game, participants appropriate a character from a fantastic world, work as a team to overcome adversity and navigate to a successful outcome.
He said the game helped the children understand the social contract and gave them a chance to fail or try something new in a safe environment.
“Being a played character is hugely liberating,” Bennett said.
“One of our kids the other week made some pretty poor decisions and his character died; he realized the sequence of events that killed his character.
“He promised he would not do this again and said he would be more considerate when making decisions in the future.”
Bennett said he hoped the game would equip children to have better coping mechanisms later in life.
Therapy that does not require bribery
George said he loved the freedom of the game.
“You’re the character you create, you’re free to choose,” he said.
“It also helps me look for a new way to solve problems.”
He said he liked his friendships with the other players.
“There are a lot of people here that I get along with.”
Jenelle Blyth said therapy for children with autism could be arduous.
As a mother of four children with autism, her focus was on preparing them for adulthood.
“Our goal is for all our children to be happy contributors. If we succeed, we will have educated our children,” he said.
He said it was an opportunity to play and tell a story that made Dice 4 Diversity something his son expected.
“This gives you the opportunity to connect with other children and learn to be more independent and talk to people,” he said.
“And I don’t have to bribe him to go there.”