Donika Hunter Art therapy Essays - Autism, Health, Psychiatry

Donika Hunter GE 3000 *05 Professor Kaplan April 23, 2018 Art therapy and Autism Introduction : Art therapy is widely practiced form of therapy session in which the client uses art as a way of expressing their feelings, developing social skills, reduce anxiety and develop an increase of self-esteem. Art therapy practice requires knowledge of visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms) and the creative process, as well as of human development, psychological, and counseling theories and techniques(AATA). There are several therapies out there to help children manage their disorder, however I find art therapy to be the most effective form of treatment for Autism. Literary Review The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines autism as: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Though present in an early developmental period, impairments may not manifest until later in life, often when demands exceed one's capacities. The notion of the spectrum relates to ASD symptom severity, with its expression ranging from mild to severe, and to some extent with intra-individual variability over time and across contexts. The spectrum also applies characteristic of intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, which vary tremendously. Rice (2007) stated the current number of children being diagnosed with autism is 1 in every 150 with boys being affected 3 to 4 times more than girls, (Boyd et al., 2010). the prevalence of ASD does not appear to be disproportionally represented across ethnic, racial, or socioeconomic groups. However, Mandell and colleagues' recent work (Mandell, Listerud , Levy, Pinto-Martin, 2002; Mandell, Novak, Zubritsky , 2005; Mandell et al., 2009) indicated that race/ethnicity as well as socioeconomic factors affect the age at which children are diagnosed, with children from minority groups and lower income or rural households often diagnosed at later ages. Autism a spectrum disorder meaning that the severity of each case is on a continuum ranging from high functioning autism to very severe cases (Boyd, Odom, Humphreys, and Sam, 2010). High functioning Autism is like Asperger syndrome in the sense that individuals are more likely to be average or above average in terms of intelligence. They tend to show signs of delay in motor skills, lack of interaction skills and obsessive interest in specific items or information. Low functioning autism is on the other end of the spectrum and these individuals display severe cognitive impairments. ASD has no specific factor that causes its manifestation in children. There are several factors that are linked to the disorder such as developmental, environmental factors and even genetics . Early intervention is essential to helping children cope with their behavior because there is no cure and there is no preventative measure. Art Therapy: Art therapy is an experiential therapy that provides a variety of sensory stimulation in a safe organized environment by offering art materials and techniques (such as paint, crayons, clay,wood , textile, etc.). The art therapist invites the client to experience and express him or herself during the process of creating art. The art shaping stimulates development of ideas, motor skills, task orientation, cause and effect links, spatial insight, shape recognition, the experience of yourself in the space around, and the development of eye contact (Gilroy, 2006; Haeyen , 2011; Hinz , 2009; Malchiodi , 2003). Art therapy is multisensory so the sensory regulations that cause children to become frustrated is no longer an issue a controlled environment with an art therapist. Developmental growth can be achieved by working on age-appropriate art and fine motor skills as well as creating individualized visual tools and art projects that facilitate socialization and communication skills. Integrating art into recreation and leisure activities can mitigate a client's symptoms through developing socially appropriate skills; an art therapy environment can help a child with ASD make this transition much more successfully than an art education environment can. The rich sensory experience of art making as well as its ability to encapsulate and organize complex topics makes art therapy a natural fit for individuals with autism . (Martin 2009) . Art Therapy the most desirable form of treatment for families with Autistic children for a