Research: Art Therapy with a Young Boy with a Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Art therapy may be able to help children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) to overcome fears and communicate with others.

This article is a case report of a 9-year-old boy with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). He had strong fears and anxieties. He wore the hood of his sweatshirt up even in hot weather because he was afraid of bees attacking his head, and he was very afraid of doctors. He was also bullied at his school. The art therapist did many things with him. The art therapist and the boy made a “worry box” from a Kleenex box. The art therapist told him to write his fear down on paper in words or pictures, and then throw the paper in the box. The therapist told him that once his worries are in the box, they stay in the box. The therapist would later look over his papers and know better what he was feeling. The art therapy helped the boy overcome his severe fears. It also helped him speak up about being bullied so that he got the help and protection he needed at school.