Treatment for children through game

The children receiving treatment at the pediatric neuropsychiatry section of the Chisinau Mother and Child Center will be treated through game. The new service called ludotherapy is intended as a support in the diagnosis and treatment of children with intellectual disabilities, Info-Prim Neo reports. The medical institution’s vice director, neurologist Diana Coropceanu said that the ludotherapy office is outfitted with furniture and specialized literature for psychologists, toys, equipment and teaching aids for working with children. The ludotherapy is a service for children suffering from retardation, behavioral and language disorders, children with increased emotiveness, with mental disabilities and dependent on drugs. “These patients need special care. The game reduces stress and stimulates communication. The toys are perceived as words, while the game as language,” said the specialist. Corina Arhire, psychologist of the pediatric neuropsychiatry section, said the ludotherapy allows efficiently diagnosing the children and enables to devise individualized treatment programs. “It is a method for exteriorizing the children, who are often introverts. By games, the children become more open and communicative,” she said. The service was constituted by the Mother and Child Center with support from the Inclusive Community - Moldova” Project, which is implemented by Keystone Human Services International Moldova Association in partnership with the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, with financial support from the Open Society Institute/Mental Health Initiative and Soros Foundation Moldova.