Abstract
The present study aimed to examine the effects of the Dohsa-Hou on mother-child interactions in 2 children with Down syndrome and 2 children with autistic tendencies who participated in a 6-day psychological rehabilitation camp where Dohsa-Hou and mother-child play were conducted. The Dohsa tasks practiced were as follows: (1) pushing each other on their palms, (2) relaxing tension in the trunk of the body, and (3) adjusting movements while kneeling or standing. Mother-child play sessions were carried out once a day for 5 days. The results were as follows: In the training sessions, interactions were facilitated through mutual intentional movement. The children could accept the relaxation task and control their bodily tension. At the same time, in the play sessions, the children had more spontaneous contacts with their mothers, and the amount of cooperative play between mother and child increased. These results suggest that the Dohsa-Hou is very effective for increasing mutual interactions in a training session, and for facilitating mother-child interactions in a play setting.
