ABSTRACT
The story of Dibs begins at school. Virginia Axline, a practising clinical psychologist, who decided to use a technique known as 'play therapy' with Dibs. The play therapy uses the therapeutic powers of play to help children prevent or resolve various psychological difficulties. There are two types of play therapy: non-directive therapy and directive therapy. During one session, Dibs told Axline a story about a tree that grew outside his bedroom window. During play therapy children are encouraged to tell stories about their life experiences. Jake, a gardener, told Dibs a story about his elm tree. Stories may represent a real incident in the child's life or a made-up one. A clinical psychologist administered an intelligence (IQ) test to Dibs. This is a standardised test used to establish an intelligence level rating by measuring a person's ability to form concepts, solve problems, acquire information, reason, and perform other intellectual operations.
