Art Therapy and Autism
Art therapy,
has its origin in psychotherapy, thus plays a significant role in the treatment
of children and teens diagnosed with ASD. Images and art making is naturally a
safe way for children and teens to communicate and relate to the world around
them. (Kramer, 1971; Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1964; Meyerowitz-Katz, 2003;
Waller, 2006). When this experience is shared and facilitated by a professional
art therapist, a meaningful opportunity is provided for the individual to
express their psychological needs that often go unaddressed by other forms of
therapies (Martin, 2009). This use of
nonverbal expression and the rich experience of utilizing visual modalities to
stimulate cognitive, emotional and social development is what sets art therapy
a part from similar professions (Gilroy, 2006; Martin, 2009).
Art therapists
do not simply assign therapeutic directives; rather, by establishing a trusting
relationship, they work jointly with the individual-sensitively guiding the art
making to contribute to a positive change in their social behaviour, emotional
expression, focus attention, self-regulation, flexibility, problem solving, communication
skills, self-awareness and self-esteem (Martin, 2009; Pioch, 2010; Schweizer,
2014).
As Art therapy
provides an fundamental avenue for the individual to understand and express
their inner thoughts and emotions, it is crucial to consider this form of
treatment in order to serve all aspects of the teen or child’s holistic
development.
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