Capital FM helped to open a media hub at Treehouse School run by Ambitious About Autism. The hub includes a radio station, digital arts suite, and shop and arts studio. Jolanta Lasota, chief executive of Ambitious About Autism believes that the media center will help students prepare for jobs in the community. She also said, “Activities that promote creativity and self-expression are vital for children with autism as they can have real difficulty communicating with others.” Capital FM donated the money from their Help a Child appeal.
Read original article: Capital DJ Helps Muswell Hill Autism School Step into Media Age
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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.
Music dance
Mar 8, 2010 by john-smithI have good news for you, Richie and others, inquiring about the use of dance/movement therapy with autistic individuals. I am a dance therapist in Austin TX and there is plenty of valuable use of dance, movement and rhythm for individuals with autism. The concepts are that a person is not merely his/her brain; obviously we are connected through mind, body, and spirit. Therefore if a person can connect with another through movement, then behavioral and cognitive change can result if the neurological patterns are stimulated through dance and movement. Of course, dance is a form of self-expression and release, as well. Engaging in dance and movement can help in that manner, whether it is dancing with the therapist or creating a form of self-expression and having the therapist guide the movement patterns into another shape, rhythm, or form to encourage a different behavior or thought process. Btw It's really nice to discuss with you. I am happy but now I am collecting the php for my friends and other persons. Because I my aim to provide best and knowledgeable material. And I hope you will also like and help me to continue this
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.