Art therapy may help people with autism to receive and learn information in a multi-sensorial way.
This case study describes an 18-year-old woman with Asperger syndrome who received seven months of art therapy. Over the seven months the young woman opened up to her art therapist and spoke more easily. The patient seemed to like the multi-sensory nature of the art work. She stopped art therapy when she left for college. The author concludes that the art therapy helped the patient to have a greater self-concept, greater self esteem and better regard for others.
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Responding to art therapy
Jul 22, 2010 by AnonymousArt therapy is an established mental health profession that uses the process of making art to improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals. Art therapists believe that the creative process of artistic self-expression helps individuals to resolve problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, and increase self-esteem.
Responding to art therapy
May 18, 2010 by AnonymousArt Therapy is a mental health profession that requires a master degree, specializing in art therapy, from an accredited university or college. Art therapy uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression, guided by a professional art therapist, helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness and achieve insight. (Please see the official website of the American Art Therapy Association at arttherapy.org.)
Art therapy may be especially beneficial for persons with autism because of its inherent ability to surpass language barriers. Children and adults can easily use "hands-on" expression to make therapeutic gains when traditional "talk therapy" is not feasible. In addition to be effective, art therapy is often enjoyable for clients and they look forward to it. Skill as an artist is NOT important. The therapeutic process is the focus in treatment, rather than the artistic product.
Art therapists in your area can be located by going to www.arttherapy.org. One may also search local Yellow Pages under Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselor, Therapists, Psychologists, and other mental health professions.
Beyond the Mask - Walk Now for Austism Chicago 2007
Jun 10, 2007 by AnonymousBeyond the Mask
The walk-a-thon, Walk Now for Austism Chicago 2007 was a great success. Healing Thresholds held a booth inside Soldier Field Stadium for individuals to get on line and to cheeck out the website and to create art. Art therapist worked with the children through the creative art process of mask making.
Art therapy is an established mental health profession that uses the process of making art to improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals. Art therapists believe that the creative process of artistic self-expression helps individuals to resolve problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, and increase self-esteem.
While growing up, we all have many obstacles and challenges to overcome. We can either take on these challenges and try to grow from them, or allow the challenges to control us. These obstacles and challenges can influence who we are and who we will become. Art therapy is a way of understanding and facing the conflicts that occur in our lives.
The expression of art begin early in a child’s life as a reaction to sensory experiences. As the child’s senses mature, his/her reationship to the environment also matures. In additon, as a child grows and learns s/he begins to understand him/herself in relation to the environment. The milestones in a child’s life relate to the physical emotional, and cognitive perspective of development. As a child identifies his/her own experiences and the environment, mental growth begins. A young child begins to express him/herself in constructive forms of art that are self-expressions of his/her feelings, emotions and thoughts. Through development, a child knowledge gained takes on a visual form. By creating symbols a child can take something they have captured and tranform it to something that has meaning. Art therapist use the abstraction of art and the multisensorial experience of art to help a individual understand his/her environment and overcome or cope with the challenges in life.
We all wear masks and may wear several in the same day. As mask makers, we wear masks that are both visual and invisible. They can hide, protect or allow us to express ourselves. The face is powerful and holds the senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste. In addition, our emotions can be seen mostly through facial expression.
Often masks are used in rituals, religion, culture and uniforms. Some cultures believe masks to be magical. They may symbolized or represent an animal or spiritual meaning. Overall, masks are a powerful form of art that has been around for thousands of years.
In art therapy the process of creating and wearing masks can help an individual to explore the self. A mask can serve as a container to be seen or unseen. By exploring different masks allows an individual to transform from the present state to a new place.
These experiences may enable an individual to be free to express themselves or perhaps provide an emotional distance. Masks can connect the non verbal to a visual form.
Summer Programs
May 1, 2007 by AnonymousSome summer schools specialize in working with children with autism. An example is the Monarch School in Houston, Texas (www.monarchschool.org). It focuses on building self esteem by providing a welcoming safe environment, offers ways for children to practice problem solving, and effective communication, and explore executive functions. During the summer session, teachers and therapists explore learning styles, build self esteem and self-awareness, and help develop relationship skills and peer awareness.