Dr. Virginia M. Axline was inspired by several pioneering psychologists in her work with children. How is the work of psychologists like Carl Rogers and Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky evident in her therapy sessions with Dibs? Why does this approach benefit Dibs and his particular problems?

Why does Dibs’s story resonate with so many people, regardless of their involvement in the field of psychology? How can an everyday person relate to Dibs and his search for self?

As Dibs starts to accept himself, his family starts to warm up to him. Why does Dibs’s search for self have this impact on his family? In what ways do his parents express their newfound acceptance?