The Daily Life Therapy (DLT) method, also known as Higashi, was developed in the 1960s by Dr. Kiyo Kitahara at the Musashino Higashi Gakuen school in Tokyo, Japan. He developed the method through what he learned teaching a child with autism in a general education kindergarten class. Its main objective was to develop the self-esteem of children with autism and create emotional security for them.
Higashi is a Japanese word meaning “hope” and is a holistic approach to integrating children with autism with other normal children to study together in a group. There are some methods used in this approach, such as providing systematic education by involving group dynamics, modeling, physical activities, art, music, academic and professional training.
How DLT works (Higashi)
Behavior management at DLT does not involve the measurement of negligence, punishment, time-out procedures, or medication. DLT is not intended to treat or cure autism syndrome disorder (ASD), but it is believed to provide other important benefits, such as improving ability, flexibility, and function appropriately when with the internal community and also with activities. that involve the family. Activities are group oriented and highly structured with an emphasis on learning transmitted from child to child through synchronization and imitation.
The Higashi approach emphasizes group learning in the context of a program that includes vigorous physical activity to develop both strength and concentration. Physical activity is one of the academic curricula of children with autism and it is a challenge for their ability level, as well as to increase their interest in participating in the activities that are carried out. Practitioners believe that through exercise, children will be able to control the level of body coordination and at the same time control their behavior. Physical activities such as exercises and games have a positive impact on behavior, psychological and physical, specifically in people with ASD. DLT programs typically use appropriate daily instruction, equipment, and movement activities such as walking, running, climbing, and jumping to improve gross motor skills, allowing children with autism to learn to acclimate to the stimulating world around them. .
Among the fundamental principles of Daily Life Therapy (Higashi) are the following:
I. The focus of the curriculum is on movement activities, music, and the arts.
ii. Children participate in vigorous physical activities throughout the day.
iii. The instructions are group-oriented, for example, all children in the class are taught the same thing and at the same time.
iv. Children learn through imitation, for example, they imitate exactly what their teacher does.
v. Routine activities are very structured.
DLT using the Higashi approach is an educational program for children with autism based on three interrelated principles: vigorous physical exercise, emotional stability, and intellectual stimulation. By using these three basic principles of DLT, children with autism learn to naturally focus their attention, diffuse their energy, feel calm and relaxed, and allow them to learn without the need for medication. DLT also provides other important benefits, such as better coping skills, greater flexibility, and better appropriate functioning within the home community and family events. DLT’s ultimate goal is to archive lifelong community inclusion and a high quality of life.