Play and Communication

This chapter explains something of the theoretical basis of the assumptions. They derive from Sigmund Freud&s;s work and its development by Melanie Klein. One of Freud&s;s greatest contributions lay in his refutation of the dichotomy of body and mind which had dominated so much of contemporary thought. Freud&s;s account of the child&s;s activities is detailed. He notes the context in which they occurred, the emotions and the half-formed words which accompanied them, the background of the child&s;s current life, especially his relationship with his mother and his reactions to her absences and returns. What is especially striking is Freud&s;s respect for the child&s;s play activity. This forms the basis of his search for an understanding of the child. He does not regard playing simply as a pastime or as a developmental achievement. Freud also came to pay increasing attention to the strong feelings which patients developed towards him.