ART THERAPY
Art therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life-enhancing.
Through creating art and talking about art and the process of art making with an art therapist, one can increase awareness of self, cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences, enhance cognitive abilities, and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of artistic creativity.
How does art therapy work?
Art therapy can help children with autism spectrum disorders gain the developmental and general skills they need including pre-academics, art, play, and socialization.
Drawings can be seen as a basis for elemental communication. They can produce expressions of ideas and emotions.
The use of sensory materials can entice a child to engage in new materials as well as interact with their peers.
Vestibular stimulation during art therapy can help motivate the child as well as help the brain process other sensory inputs, especially visual ones.
The use of creative art therapies can help in the expression of the emotions as well as aid the clients in overcoming some of their social and gesture impairments.
Many autistic individuals have issues understanding their emotions. Through art, they can begin to work through their emotional processes so as to express themselves more clearly.
Goals of art therapy
- Reduce self-stimulatory behaviors
- Reduce anxiety
- Enhance self-esteem and a cohesive sense of self
- Reduce levels of frustration by trying new and different solutions to the art media
- Art may help the child discover the first awareness of self
- Make emotional preparations for change
- Transform feelings of aggression and impulsiveness into images of aesthetic beauty and strength
- Reduce impulsive behaviors
Courtesy of Jodi Spiegel, ATR-BC, LCAT 631-513-6092, Jodimichelle1976@gmail.com
Cassandra Dyer, ATR-BC, LCAT, (516) 841-7452, cdyer@rock.com
Information obtained and adapted from www.arttherapy.org
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