Dibs In Search Of Self:-

About Dibs, a child whom the teachers have given up hope on, since he does not communicate at all with anyone in class, and won't even hang up his coat, or join class to listen to a story, or play - and then a psychology professional came into his life via his school with a new therapy, play therapy, in a room all by himself with the therapist only there to see he comes to no harm, and to listen and respond, but leaving all initiative to him to do as he pleases. For an hour with a promise of another hour to come at an interval, regularly.

And the child begins to untangle and then blossom. Incredible, since the parents or the teachers could have easily let him have this freedom, this playroom to blossom in, to develop. But schools have become structured (or rather, they then had - now the fashion has swung to the opposite extreme for a while and a teacher must appreciate whatever crap a college student delivers in name of whatever subject, and woe to the teacher that dares to grade objectively or refuses to appreciate science quizzes done wrong as a matter of learning for the teacher) and so play had to be reinvented.

Dibs had a brilliant father and a brilliant mother who had had to give up on her career to have children, which then was the rule practically, as it is imperative even now (since US approves of no help whatsoever for the woman from either a husband or a mother or any other relative or servants, and mothering as well as scientific career can never be part time) - so she had to prove her worth over and over to herself and even more so to her husband, for having given up on her career in science, by proving Dibs was brilliant.

And the stress was too much for the child who was in fact brilliant, so he had withered and collapsed in on himself, no longer responding to anyone, while the other two children that followed were not subjected to any such requirements of proving brilliant and so in fact they were both normal and brilliant. The parents were about to give up on Dibs and institutionalise him, when fortunately the therapist with a new idea happened, and things changed.

This book is the story of that change, and it is astounding, touching, wonderful. One wonders how western education and society generally lost play, got so very structured as to need a therapist to have a play room or space. Even though there are playgrounds everywhere.

Today, of course, while those with any expertise and knowledge dare not criticise any mistakes or worse by others, while the lumpen hold the whip, and bullies rule every playground, including internet sites meant for readers and books.